Growing together
by cherryinthebowl
Summary: Sai and Hikaru are two brothers whose characters are different as night and day. But they both share their undivided love for the game of Go. With his brother turning professional, will Hikaru follow him down the path to find the hand of God or will he choose to hide in his brother's shadow...forever
1. Playing with you

I was working on another project (the light scent after rain) when this idea came out and it just wouldn't go away so I opt out to write this one for the time being (still working on the other one, hetalia fans) Update rate? I'm getting only some hundreds words for this story a day so if you want a definite waiting period confirmed i'd say once a week, at most. If my imagination allow me I'll update more frequently. Fingers crossed

Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go

* * *

It was a stormy night, something quite common during September in Japan. The wind outside was restless as well as the boy in his elementary school year who was stirring in his bed. Beads of sweat moistened his pajamas while he was struggling to stay in his dream against the gusty sound of wind outside his windows.

Some loud knocks came down on his bedroom door, successfully waking him from his sleep in the end. The boy sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes with a hint of irritation in his sigh. The door did not burst open however; instead the man on the other side of it shouted whatever he wanted to announce to his son.

"I'm taking your mom to a hospital! She's delivering the baby!" the boy heard his father rushed down the stairs. He even heard his mother moaning in the background.

"Father! Shouldn't we call the ambulance!?" the boy swung the door opened to his parents. His father was panicky throwing some blanket and pillows into the back seat of his car which he had its engine started and readied to take off.

"I already did but the typhoon is really bad they might not make it here in time. Her water had broken already. There's no time left!" the father yelled back against the strong wind. Upon hearing his mother condition, the boy went rigid. His eyes widened as he clenched his shaky hands. In all honesty, he didn't know what his father meant but it sounded gravely serious to the ears of ten year old boy.

"SAI!" his father roared. In his arms was his mother who was caressing her oversized belly, pain evidenced on her face.

The boy was finally pulled out of his trance. He quickly grabbed the house keys, locking the door, and plopped into the front seat next to his father who stepped on the pedal the second his son closed the car door.

"Mother, we're taking you to a hospital. You'll be alright" he turned to look at his mom who was trying to smile at him despite her physical state.

"I'm sorry. We must have terrified you" she managed to sound calm even though she hissed the words through her gritted teeth.

The boy only smiled back, mentally praying for his mother's safe delivery.

~o0O0o~

The next morning, Shindou Heihachi and his wife found themselves rushing to the hospital after receiving a phone call from his only son.

_ "Sai will be there. He's taking a leave from school today. I'll be back with them in the afternoon after I deal with some paper work from my office. Could you look after them for me while I'm away?"_

"Oh for god sake, that son of mine!" the old Heihachi muttered while his wife talked to the receptionist at the front desk of the hospital. Minutes later, a room plate with numbers 505 greeted them.

"Grandfather, grandmother" that was all Sai could muttered.

"We received a call from your dad early this morning. I think he is worried about leaving you and your mother alone." His grandmother said while switching her gaze to her son's wife. Mitsuko smiled back.

"It's not that we don't want to pay a visit but he is the one who should be here the most. Geez! That no good workaholic!" Heihachi grumpily greeted his daughter in law and his grandsons. His eyes fell on the younger one before a smile painted itself on his lips.

"Look at this young one. Mitsuko, have you given him a name?"

"Oh, we haven't thought of his name yet. I felt like it'd be a jinx if we thought of a name for the baby before he was born."

"In that case, do you mind if I want to give one to him?"

Mitsuko was somewhat reluctant to agree with her father in law since her husband was not present to help her make such a decision. But the guilt of taking away the only son from the Shindous and had him married into her family made her rejection impossible.

"We will be happy to have you name this little one for us" she finally decided, looking at her older son as if seeking reassurance from him. Sai smiled back sweetly.

The old Heihachi traced his fingers softly on the newborn's cheek while his new grandson stirred in his crib, his little tongue lingered cutely between his lips.

"I keep having a dream about playing Go with my late brother lately. I wonder if he's getting bored, waiting for me to play with him again" the oldest Shindou sighed quietly. He didn't intend for any other people in the room to hear what he had just said, except for his little grandson, if only he understand what he meant.

"Mitsuko, I'm sorry if I might offend you. But do you mind if I name him after my late brother? He was a great guy and loved by everyone who knew him. I want him to be remembered by our grandsons as well. Even if they don't know him personally"

Mitsuko was lost for words. She had known the guy, met him a few times when her husband decided to marry into Fujiwara. He was the only one in Shindou family who accepted the idea of her husband abandoning his surname and also the only one who convinced other family members to give blessings to their wedding. But the old man was obsessed with his ancient board game, so obsessed that he insisted to keep a haunted game board in his bedroom despite everyone's protest. Mitsuko was certain that she was fine with her older son playing the game. But she wasn't ready if her younger son would turn into a board game addict like the late Shindou (not to mention she might be having a ten year old game addict from Fujiwara family in the very near future)

Mitsuko was about to voice her concern when Sai grabbed a hold of her hand. He squeezed it down as if telling her that he wanted to support his grandfather's choice of name.

"Well, if Masao doesn't mind then I don't have anything against it" she resigned

"I'm sure Masao would love the name. He was nearly inseparable from my brother back in the days" Heihachi grinned with confidence. His wife nodded slowly while giving Mitsuko a serene smile.

Heihachi turned to his little grandson once more, smiling brightly at him this time "Hello, Hikaru" the baby laughed back cheerfully.

~o0O0o~

"Sai, can you look after Hikaru for me? I'm going out for some grocery" Mitsuko carefully nudged her younger son into the living room where Sai was reviewing his game on his Goban. The younger boy was swinging his toy sword in the air, imitating his favorite evening TV program. The three year old Hikaru was so creative he even made the sound effect to go along with his acting.

"But, mom, I'm studying" Sai whined but still kept his tone polite and soft.

"Please, darling, I only need fifteen minutes. I'll be back as soon as I can"

"Then why don't you take him to shopping with you. I'm sure he would be happier walking with you than sitting here with me" Sai warily eyed the tip of the toy sword which his brother had point directly in his face. The youngest Fujiwara looked more than ready to launch at his enemy brother.

"I'm going!" Mitsuko vanished behind the front door without waiting for her oldest son's reply.

"Wait, mom! …I have a game tomorrow!" Sai trailed off when he saw the door swung shut instead of his mother's back. Before he could turn back and glared at his baby brother, the latter mobbed him down, resulting in Sai kissing the tatami mat.

"Hey, stop! Get off me!" his tone raised. Seconds later he was on his feet again.

"Sai, let's play. You'll be the bad guy. Yahhhh!" Hikaru launched at Sai again but this time he also added some jump to his fencing. Sai's eyes widened as he barely escaped the dead hit his brother produced. He held his arms high when he finally shouted at his brother. "Alright, I give up!"

"What!? You're no fun, nii-chan. I can't hit you if you give up easily" Hikaru pouted.

"That's exactly why I gave up" Sai mumbled annoyingly before some idea clicked in his head. "Hey, do you want to play my game? You can be the general"

"The general? What is that?" Hikaru asked innocently

"The guy who controls everyone to do what he wants" Sai grinned. This conversation was going in the way he had planned.

"That sounds good. And who will you be?" a small fire was lid in Hikaru's little eyes. Sai grinned inwardly.

"I'll be a general too but an enemy general" now he wished he could have something to hide his smirk.

"I like this game! Pick your weapon, nii-chan" the little Hikaru almost jumped in excitement. It was the first time since he could remember that his brother suggested playing a game with him.

"No Hikaru, the generals don't fight. That is what the foot soldiers do. We give orders"

"Hm? That sounds hard. Show me how to play this game then" Sai had to suppress his winning laugh since if he let it out, it would scare the little devil away from his plan. And that was the last thing he wanted to happen to him after all the manipulative conversation with this demonic creature he called brother.

He slowly moved closer to the pieces of stone which were scattered on the floor, picking up one white stone and one black. "These are our soldiers"

Hikaru dropped his head to the side slightly, looking at his brother with confuse. Sai didn't wait for any interruption as he continued "For now, you'll be black and I'll be white. We'll play on that board over there"

Surprisingly, Hikaru walked closer to the board and sat crossed-leg on one side. Sai blinked a few times, not believing that his brother finally gave in to his explanation and started to behave unlike most three year old brats he had seen.

"These lines are the roads. If your soldiers are blocked by my soldiers, they can't run away so they will die" Sai placed his stones to surround Hikaru's stone "But if you can get away, like this, they will live" he put Hikaru's stone to extend the single black stone that was originally on the board. "How about that? Want to give it a try?"

~o0O0o~

"Sai, Hikaru, I'm back!" the house was eerily quiet. The only reason that kept Fujiwara Mitsuko from screaming out her sons' names repeatedly in panic was the sound of stones clicking on the wooden board, letting her knew that her sons weren't blacked out because of some poor action play. Maybe Sai managed to get Hikaru to have his afternoon nap.

"Sai?" she whispered through the crack of the shoji door. Instead of seeing her oldest son studying his board game, she found her three-year-old unskillfully placed his stones onto the board, his brother sitting on the opposite.

"If you go there, I can block you here" Sai chuckled

"Geez, then where should I go?" that was the first groan from the three year old toddler Sai had ever heard. And it sounded no less frustrating than his grandfather's grumpy moment when he accused Sai for tricking him on the board.

"Oh? Are you sure you need a hint?" the older brother teased evilly

"No! I don't need help from the enemy general" Hikaru had just show an interesting trait for his age, temper. Sai couldn't help giggling at this. He really needed to find something to hide his expression as he noticed that Hikaru tended to get a little mad when Sai snickered at him.

~o0O0o~

HikaGo Fans: Yes I know my Sai is a bit OOC but comon guys, people change when they grow up. And I plan for my Sai to fit in his rightful character when he reaches his proper age. So bare with me here. One other thing, there will be no BL/shounen-ai in my story although some of you might take some point of the story as a hint which I don't mind.


	2. Chasing you

I just posted the first chapter last night and there are 2 reviews and 2 follows already! Ah~~ I love HKG fans! You guys are so supportive. Here another chapter as my thanks to you. Hope you enjoy!

Special thanks to **Yuu **and Anonymous reviewer for leaving me reviews. Hope you guys stick with my fic as I write more of it. **Yuu **is actually my screen name on an internet Go server. What a coincidence :D

Disclaimer: As you all know, I don't own Hikaru no Go

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"Sensei, can you read these two pages to me? The letters are too messy to read. I can't understand what it says at all" a boy in his blue nursery dress plunged the book into her hand.

Fukuyama Yuka bent down to see the book the boy handed to her. In all her years of being a kindergarten teacher, she had never seen a book of this level of kanji loitering around the school ground at all, much less being read by one of her students.

"Hikaru kun, don't you want to play dodge ball with everyone? I'm sure your friends will be happy playing with you"

"I did play with them but the game is boring. Now sensei, can you read the book out loud to me?" the boy pleaded with his rounded, puppy eyes.

"Hmm, let me see" Yuka searched the page for an easy start. But no matter where she looked, the content of the book didn't seem very friendly to the six year old boy (or even to her) She was about to go back on convincing the boy once again when her eyes met with his determined stare.

"Erm" she cleared her throat, finally decided that it wouldn't hurt if she needed to show the boy that the book was too hard for him to understand "the examples above help to develop the judgment of where/how to fight so that its beneficial, rather than be left with a weakening your overall position"

Hikaru tied his brows together, a sight that Yuka expected from the beginning when she roughly scanned the book earlier.

"Can you say it in a way I can understand? My nii-chan always does that for me"

"Then why don't we go to your onii-chan together and have him read to us?" Yuka sighed quietly, feeling somewhat relieved that she might find someone who can help.

Hikaru fidgeted. His expression told Yuka that she might have gone wrong somewhere during their small conversation. Drops of tear were visible in his eyes.

"…He has been very busy lately; he can't read with me anymore. He is taking a pro exam. I don't really know what that means but it must be very important to him. Because he didn't even eat his dinner last night" Hikaru hung his head low. Yuka spotted a few moistened dirt rings on the ground. The boy was suppressing his cry.

"Hikaru kun, how about we go to someone else for help? Someone who knows how to play this game"

Hikaru shook his head in defeat. "Only nii-chan and grandpa play Go. But grandpa lives…" he paused. His tears went away almost instantly "Grandpa" he muttered.

~o0O0o~

"Grandpa! Grandpa!" Hikaru kicked his shoes off his feet unceremoniously. He greeted his surprised grand mother who looked like she might drop her tea set when Hikaru stormed by her in a hurry. "Grandpa, read me a book" the six years old demanded.

Heihachi was caught off guard. His youngest grandson rarely initiated any intelligence activities with him. Only Sai, his older grandson would show such interest. He quickly discarded the novel idea, assuming it must had been some manga that the boy wanted to read but can't because the Kanji were too hard for him.

"You can't just storm into my house, asking me to read to you using that kind of tone, you brat" he mock scolded his grandchild, grabbing the simmer hot tea and raised the cup to his lips.

"Please read it to me grandpa" Hikaru plopped his book onto the low coffee table where his grandfather was sitting, leisurely sipping his tea. The old Shindou almost choked on his favorite drink upon seeing the cover of the book. _'Intermediate Level, Power Builder Vol.1' _it read.

"This…is Go book. Where did you get this? When did you…"

"Grandpa, just read it to me, quickly, quickly!" Hikaru cut him off, urging his grandfather to do what he asked. Heihachi picked up the book and flipped through its content. It was indeed a book for an intermediate level player but he never knew that his younger grandson was playing the game at all, much less reaching this level of play when he was only six years old. Did Sai teach him? He didn't notice that Hikaru had gone fetching his Go board in the corner and placed it in between them, not until the boy had turned back to the corner again for the two stone bowls he left due to its excessive weight for a pre-school kid strength to carry the whole set all at once.

"Hikaru, what are you doing?" Heihachi stared at his Go board, puzzled "Do you want to play a game?" his wrinkled face lid up at the idea of his grandchild challenging him.

"No, silly grandpa, I need a board to follow the moves from the book I want you to read. Now I'm all set" Hikaru sat cross-leg in front of the board, waiting for his grandfather to start reading the explanation that he certainly could understand if the Kanji were not too hard to read.

"I still think these plays are too hard for your age…" Heihachi tried to reason with his grandson. But he got cut off by Hikaru's strong gaze.

"Please" Hikaru voice was surprisingly firmed. It immediately caught the old Shindou's attention and that he came down with his own, easier to understand version of the original instruction for his youngest grandson. Hikaru's small hand moved as he heard the coordination given to him from his grandfather. His short fingers held the stones gracefully before placing them down on the board with confidence that the old Heihachi had never seen in someone from such young age. The boy paused after Heihachi finished reading the first two figures from the book. His innocent eyes stared unblinking at the two groups of stones on the board. Moments later he moved some black stones into the open spots in the two formations.

"Did I get it right grandpa? The answer should be on the next page"

Heihachi nodded then proceeded to read the explanation to his grandchild again. Hikaru beamed with more confidence as he realized he had successfully solved the problems. The six years old kept quiet as he listened intently to the explanation his grandfather read to him. The two kept the study going for an hour or so before his grandfather finally interrupted.

"That reminds me Hikaru, how did you get here from your school? Did you come by yourself?"

"Yup, I ran here from school since I can remember how nii-chan always brings me to see you after class" the boy answered, not bothering to look up at the old Shindou as he studied the board. The latter almost jumped when he heard the story of his grandson's escapade.

"You skipped school by yourself!?" Heihachi panicked. He was now standing tall on his two feet, ready to launch for his phone any seconds.

"Skipped? But I told you I ran here" Hikaru puzzled. He looked up to search for his grandfather but the old man had gone frantically talking with someone on the phone outside.

~o0O0o~

"Fujiwara Hikaru! Do you know how many people were looking for you in the past hour?" Mitsuko was outraged to say the least. Her fume alone was enough to make the other two Fujiwara men flinched even though they were not its direct target, the little Hikaru was.

The boy mumbled sorry quietly. His gaze strayed to his older brother as if he was pleading him. Sai's heart felt a strong pierce the moment he saw his brother's tears.

"Mother, I don't think he intended to run away from school" Sai tried to calm his mother. His father took off work early too when he heard about Hikaru's disappearing from school but he didn't seem angry in the least. Sai suspected that it was because his mother had already blew Hikaru' sense out of his mind and that abandoned puppy look on his brother's face was enough to soften his father's heart.

"It was that board game again isn't it. Give that little board to me. You're not allowed to play the game for a week, young man"

Horror struck Hikaru like a lighting. His pale face was hollowed and his moist eyes widened with terror. "Please mom, I won't do it again. I promise"

It was then when Sai stepped forward and stood between his mother and his little brother. "Mother, please calm down. I'll take care of him about this matter since I'm the one who teach him the game"

Mitsuko didn't seem willing to give up but a nudge from her husband was a firm vote to close down the matter. "Let him handle it" Masao said softly.

Sai took a side glance to his brother who was sobbing uncontrollably. His arms clung to his bag dearly as if his life depended on it. What ever Go related item inside his bag must be the last thing on earth he wanted to let go. "Go, I'll see you in my room" he whispered. The poor Hikaru dashed out and up the stairs like there was no tomorrow. Sai's gaze followed him until his brother's form disappeared behind his bedroom door.

"Did you have to scare him to that extent, mother?"

"It's not what I want to do. But ever since you said you'd take the pro exam, I have to start preparing him to take over our store and its branches. Sai, I can't have him turn into another Go pro" Mitsuko rubbed her palm to her forehead. Her oldest son went rigid after he heard what she said. Sai didn't think of the consequence after his parents had given up on making him the head of Fujiwara when he would finish his high school education. His mind was focusing only on becoming a pro and playing more Go. Now his beloved brother had to step in and pay the price for his decision. Hikaru would be taking over their centuries old kimono shop and its branches once he had come of age.

"Hikaru…" Sai felt like his legs would collapse on to the floor but he dragged himself up the stairs, following his little brother to his room. Hikaru was already there, in front of his Goban, looking up at him with his bright and rounded eyes.

"Nii-chan, did mom scold you?" Hikaru walked up to his big brother, grabbing Sai's hand when the older boy didn't answer him.

"Hikaru, do you want to play Go with me?"

"Yes! I want to. I'll keep studying and I'll become a pro like you so we can play each other forever"

Sai couldn't hold in his tears any longer. He crouched down to the floor, hugging Hikaru tightly while trying to hide his tears by sobbing into Hikaru's small shoulder. "I'm sorry Hikaru. Will you forgive me?" Sai's form shook violently and little Hikaru felt it. "Nii-chan, don't cry" for some unknown reason, tears started falling down on his own smooth, plump cheeks. Hikaru only knew it was too sad that his brother was crying while hugging him. "I'm sorry, really sorry" Sai cried.

~o0O0o~

It was around two months since the incident that almost resulted in banning Hikaru from playing Go. Surprisingly, Hikaru's life went by peacefully, except one thing. He was secretly entering a Kanto children Go competition that was to be held in Tokyo big sight, west exhibition hall. After Hikaru went out of his way to annoy his sponsor (his grandfather) for an entrance fee, here he was, standing outside the enormous entrance by himself, a participant ticket in his hand.

"Yosh! Here I come!" Hikaru puffed his chest and lifted his chin as he stepped into the great hall. Before he could proceed any further, a gust of wind blew his ticket from his hand.

"No! Stop!" Hikaru panicked. Fortunately, the ticket went under some kid's foot and stuck there. The said kid bent down to grabbed Hikaru's ticket "Ah~ there it is, 'my' ticket" he sneered at Hikaru.

Hikaru's anger rose to its peak within seconds. His face flushed and his ears reddened. He pointed to his ticket in the kid's hand and yelled "You liar! That's **my** ticket!"

Undoubtedly, their argument was pretty loud judging from the attention it gathered. Before any of them could shout to their heart content, a boy around the same age as Hikaru butted in. "That is his ticket. The wind just blew it away from him and you are the one who pick it up. You are going to give it back right? Mashiba kun"

The two heads turned simultaneously. The boy with strange hair cut was standing behind Hikaru. His face was stern as he stared at the older boy who had _picked up_ the questioning ticket.

"Touya kun, ah, yeah~ I was about to turn it in if no one was looking for it" Mashiba stuttered.

"I believe the boy here own that ticket" the boy with a neck length haircut said coldly. Hikaru saw a chance and he didn't wait for it to disappear, snatched back his ticket, making sure that he didn't tear it in the process.

Mashiba's hand jerked back in surprise. When he came to his sense, he quickly apologized to the two boys and excused himself into the hall. Before he went completely out of the two boys' sight, he turned and glared at Hikaru.

"Weirdo" Hikaru glared back at him, equally intense. He then shifted his focus to the boy who stood next to him. "Thanks for helping me. I don't think he'll give my ticket back if you didn't show up"

"I guess you're right. I couldn't give much credit to that guy even if he acted nice just now" the boy said. His tone didn't show any hint of sarcasm.

"Are you in the competition? It must be fun playing with you" Hikaru would dance on the spot if the boy was competing. He felt there was something about this boy the same way he felt when he was playing his brother.

"No. I'm not entering. But I'll walk around" the boy smiled. It was not a bright smile like Hikaru's but the polite one nonetheless.

Hikaru shrugged. It was too bad he didn't get to face the boy who saved him but at least he got games waiting and he wouldn't let anything to ruin this day.

"I guess I'll see you around then" Hikaru waved the boy goodbye

"Hey, what is your name?" the boy suddenly shouted as Hikaru was disappearing into the crowd. He must have realized that they didn't introduce each other.

"Fujiwara Hikaru" Hikaru beamed before blending in with people around him, heading to his first opponent.

* * *

Author's note: now some of you might say I dramatized my fic too much. Most of the aspects from the story are actually very real (from a conversation I had with my Japanese friend). If your family happen to have family business then one of your children is supposed to take over when the time has called for (especially if you're a son or the oldest of the siblings. If you happen to be both, it's not likely that you would escape this faith) If any one dare to leave their family business for some other career choices, prepare to be disown (very true)


	3. Something for you

It is sooo hard to write about Go matches. I rewrite Sai's game a few times until I finally feel happy about it. But still, if any of you feel it is not up to your standard, feel free to review so I could try harder next time. I'm also very sorry for the cliff hanger in this chapter. As it will be quite a challenge to write in the next chapter, I ask for you to be patient. I'll try my best to update very soon. Fingers crossed.

Thank you for reviews from guest and anonymous. These comments are a huge boot to my writing.

**Kanrei:** **I won't stay sad for long **

**Otakuzen: I hope to finish this story too, will do my best. The teaching part in the first chapter is my own understanding when I first tried my hand on Go. Not very accurate way to play the game but helps somewhat with life and death problems.**

Disclaimer **I don't own Hikaru no Go**

* * *

Takagi Kiriko couldn't help staring at her would be opponent for the day. She knew fully well how important it was for the game she was about to have today. Since if she lost, it would be her fourth and resulting in a straight win streak in addition of him passing the exam. But she couldn't get her face straight no matter how much effort she put into it, not when this boy directed his eyes to meet hers. This certain boy was the talk of the exam since day one. At the earlier period of the pro exam, there was not even one female player who didn't talk about his look. Kiriko still remembered one guy who walked up to him and asked for his number, thinking that he was actually a girl. That one guy received a hostile glare from the said boy up until this day. But as of late, the male players started talking about him too, even the topic involving him among the female examinees had also changed its direction. With his unstoppable winning streak and his strong but balanced play, the exam participants started calling this dark horse a prodigy.

"I still can't believe he won against Ogata kun the other day, and by ten mokus at that!"

"Poor boy, I know he didn't want to resign but it would be better doing otherwise. Losing by ten mokus when he was expected to pass with a spotless record, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes right now"

"Can you believe he doesn't belong to any study group? Is it even possible for someone who studies by himself to play so well?"

"He doesn't even have a master!? Are you blabbering nonsense!?"

The small talks went on and on until a teenager with light brunette hair walked in. His glasses reflected the neon lights in the room for a moment before he marched to the feminine boy who had been the center of attention for the past two months.

"Morning, twenty century Shusaku" Sai looked up from his book The great Games to see his opponent from the other day, standing arms crossed, starring at him as if Sai was a bug that had to be squashed for good.

"Good morning, Ogata san" he replied flatly, showing no interest in furthering the conversation between them. The polite but unfriendly gesture didn't get pass Ogata's scrutiny unnoticed.

"Do you know? Even Shusaku studied with his master. Doesn't it sound too much like a bad joke when you said you don't have one?"

"I were merely stating a fact. Choosing what to believe is your choice to consider" Sai got up from his seat, his book still in his hand as he prepared himself to walk away "And my name is Fujiwara. Calling me Shusaku is a disrespect to the great master. Now if you excuse me, I have a game to attend"

"Wait, I want a rematch" Ogata quickly grabbed onto Sai's wrist. The latter boy didn't struggle against the hand that had restrained him. Instead, he narrowed his eyes dangerously "I don't see why you should be so eager. I believe we'll be facing each other again once you pass the exam, isn't that so?"

"I mean an unofficial rematch"

"We can talk about that later. Most of all, acting impatient is very inappropriate. I think you should know better" Sai jerked his hand back. His face remained stern and cold until the end of their conversation.

~o0O0o~

Beads of cold sweat rolled down Kiriko's temple. She had heard about this boy's terrifying rumors, of course. But those talks didn't seem to prepare her for the inevitable and devastating lost that she was facing. She scanned over her shape to find some way to come back from her fall against white who had already swept over half of the board. Her eyes shone viciously as she spotted a few opening in Sai's formation.

_'I still have control over the two top corners plus the lower side of the board. And there is a hole in his defense. If he strengthens it, I can take the area near the middle. If not, I'll break his wall'_

Kiriko bit her lips to suppress the sudden excitement that had been revived within her. Her hand shook in anticipation as she placed her black stone onto the exact spot she was staring seconds earlier. But her luck was running thin as she also failed to notice Sai's hand which he lifted up to cover the lower half of his face, concealing his smirk with his pretended contemplating gesture.  
Sai's response came sharply the moment Kiriko let go her stone. Her breath was cut short as her gaze fell on the newly added white stone. Did he make a mistake? That last move wasn't as beneficial to him comparing to defending his position. She tried to read deeper behind the move, yet nothing came to alarm her. Something in her gut was screaming at her, not to make another move. But she couldn't give up the chance to plunge into his defense. And so she placed her stones.

Pachi, Pachi

Pachi, Pachi

Pachi, Pachi, Pachi

Plack! Sai slammed down his last stone and earned a gasp from his opponent. Kiriko had finally see the boy's intention behind the move he made a few hands earlier. The move she thought was a mistake turned out to be a very meaningful hand. The boy didn't place that move to deflect her attack but to exploit her very own weakness. He had lost a few territories near the center due to her few stones. But now that very first stone was spelling doom for her whole area in the bottom. She could still fight for the center but by doing so, she wouldn't be able to safe the dying stones on the top left corner as well. Her only choice now was to defend her position in the bottom. But would that be enough for her to come out with leading mokus?

Kiriko looked up at the clock on the wall. Only an hour and some minutes had passed but to her, it felt like an hours long match. She had gone through most of emotional range, playing this game. And it proved to drain her mental state immensely. So this was the level of play which belonged to the boy who pulled the top contender, Ogata, from his throne. The no name boy with unknown skill and no master who walked into this exam hall nearly two months ago would graduate today as a Go professional player with his crowning glory record to boot. Kiriko couldn't help feeling a pang of jealousy for this newly crowned king. Her gaze strayed to the very white stone that spelled her death sentence. Her lips were pressed tightly together as one disheartening word kept on repeating itself in her mind.

~o0O0o~

"I resign" Ishiyama Takeshi bowed to the boy across the Goban, his hands clenched together until his knuckles turned white. In all his years of private tutoring and studying Go, he had never lost to someone so badly, and so fast, at least not to a six year old boy who looked like he belonged in a sand box rather than in a competition for a game of strategy. He felt that his lost would be somewhat acceptable if this boy was the young prodigy, Touya Akira, who was rumored to had been taught by his fast rising 9-Dan pro father since he was two.

"Who's your sensei?" Ishiyama asked bitterly. At least if the boy was studying with a pro, he'd feel better for having lost to someone who had a formal study of the game.

"Sensei? You mean Yuka sensei? Do you know her?" Hikaru spun in his seat at the thought of meeting someone from his school in the competition. But his opponent seemed too old to be a kindergarten student so he quickly dropped the idea.

"Sorry, never heard of her. Is she a pro?"

"Pro? Can you call a teacher, a pro?" Hikaru scratched the back of his head. What was this boy talking about? Maybe he was asking if Yuka sensei was good at teaching. He originally thought the term 'pro' was reserved for some Go players who earn money playing the games. But since Yuka sensei got paid for teaching, maybe she could be called a pro too.

Ishiyama smacked himself mentally. What was he thinking, trying to have a serious conversation with this little boy who didn't even seem to be in an elementary school? "Sorry, never mind" he mumbled as he got up from his seat, leaving Hikaru puzzled over how frustrated the older boy looked.

~o0O0o~

Hikaru walked around leisurely within the event area. He breezed through his second round easily since the children competition only used the 13x13 boards and not the 19x19 board as he always played with his brother. His grandfather would come and pick him up when the third round finished and all he had to do was waiting for him at the reception area. Hikaru still had an hour until his last match of the day so he chose to go see the amateur tournament on the other side of the hall.

Before he reached the adult zone, his eyes caught on some booths full of Go related goods. His small feet stop in front of a specialty book shop which also carried some stationary as well. His rounded eyes fell onto a particular fan in the shop's display counter.

"Do you like this fan?" An old man approached him from the side, startling him a little. Hikaru nodded as he placed his hands on the glass to crop the view over his favorite one. The old man looked back at him with his kind gaze while pointing at the fan.

"This style is quite old. Do you want to buy it for your grandfather, perhaps?"

"No, for my nii-chan. I think he'll look good holding it" Hikaru eyes traced the bigger folds of the fan. The paper was thick and its edge was rimmed with gold. It was the most elegant fan he had ever seen.

"I think the price is a little too expensive for you. Why don't you try looking for a cheaper one? I'm sure your brother will be equally happy receiving a gift from you, even if it's not the one you have in mind"

Hikaru let his gaze strayed onto some other fans as the old man suggested but still couldn't find any that had his attention. He sighed in defeat. Maybe he'll ask his grandfather to buy it for him and find a way to pay him back. He hated the idea but he would have to live with it if he wanted the fan by the end of today.

"Hey, gramp, how much is that one?" A middle age man pointed to Hikaru's favorite fan. The old man who was with Hikaru earlier greeted his potential customer with a price tag. "It is 4,000 yen"

"A bit pricy there, don't you think? Can't you give some discount?"

"I'm very sorry but this price is final but the quality is of the best and it is handmade. I guarantee that it will worth your every penny if you decide on it"

"Hm, I really like this one too. It looks plain but very elegant" after a small pause, the man fetched his wallet "Alright, I'll take it"

"Thank you very much. Would you like to write something on it?"

"Oh, can you write 'Kitajima' in small letters on the inner fold?"

"Yes, as you wish"

"Wait, you can't do that!" Hikaru who was listening in on the whole conversation with horror decided to butt in. The only fan he had his eyes on was about to be sold to this plumpy middle age man. He even wanted the fan to be written. Who in their right mind would do that to such luxurious handicraft?

"I can do anything I want. I bought the fan" he chuckled

"I saw that fan first!" Hikaru protested childishly

"Look, you brat, it doesn't matter who saw it first, I'm the one who have money to buy it"

"I'll ask my grandpa to buy it once he come to get me"  
The man scoffed as he turned to the shop owner "This is a child fight. Hurry up and finish your writing. People are starting to look at me"

"I'll pay for you!" Hikaru barked "I'll pay for you if you win against me"  
The two men went quiet before the younger of them bursted out laughing "Brat, do you know what you are talking about? Are you asking me for a game? Don't you think you're ten years too early, no twenty years even?

Hikaru's body was trembling. It was fear. He had never played any grown ups out of his family circle, much less playing an intimidating middle age man who seemed very capable of eating him alive. But he had no other choice. If he wished to safe the fan now, he must fight for it.

"I want a game" Hikaru mustered his courage "I'll pay for the fan if you win. But if you lose, the fan is mine"

By that moment, people who was patrolling the shops around them had witness the challenge from the boy whose height was merely three feet tall, to the middle age man whose size was a little over the average especially around the middle. If the man chose to fight, people would talk that it wasn't a very fair game considering the age different. But if he walked away, the brat would certainly start making a scene.

"Stop your none sense. Even if I let you have twenty handicaps, you still can't beat me" the man turned, readied himself to walk away.

"Are you scared? I didn't ask for any handicap, not that I'd need it against some old man like you" Hikaru raised his voice, earning some gasps from bystanders. The man smirked. He didn't have a reason to accept the challenge earlier but now that the boy was out of line, it only seemed appropriate for an adult to put the youngsters into their places.

"If you went that far, I'll have no choice but to play you" he grinned openly.


	4. Without you

First of all, I'd like to apologize to the early readers who have read chp 3 as soon as I updated on fanfiction. I wrote the whole chapter and uploaded it from my iPad and things went so wrong with the published version. I already have it fixed and good to go. I'll be careful when using a different writing app from now on. (Thank you, **reesessweetie**, for pointing it out)

On the topic of 'Discussing about the direction of this fanfic'

The brotherly love is not very common here at fanfiction but it is not rare. I intend to explore more about relationship between family members and friends rather than going head first into angst department. (That's all I can hint!)

_*Drum rolled*_And the die hard fan award goes to...**reesessweetie**! Yes! **Kitajima** was the guy who frequented Touya Meijin's Go salon in the manga/anime. He didn't really like Hikaru , had never liked Hikaru actually. So I think it'd be a good use if I bring this guy to my fanfic and give him a reason to dislike Hikaru from the beginning.

As always, I appreciate your reviews. I confess I've reread **all** of your reviews with a big smile on my face whenever I take a break from writing this story. Thank you, **reesessweetie** and **Kanrei** for giving me the chance to stalk your profile page(kidding). Thank you, **Yuu**,** Guest** and **Anonymous** who still left comments though you guys shy away from me (please come back again). All reviews help speeding up my writing greatly and I'll keep doing my best knowing I have you cheering me on :D

Oh, my, enough talking. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. see you next chapter!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go**

* * *

A small group of middle age man was formed around a previously unoccupied Goban. Some of them were there out of curiosity after witnessing what seemed to be a suicidal challenge. Some of them were already there, loitering around from one board to another, seeking for a game worth to watch. A match up between one small boy and a fully grown man was something that didn't occur in everyday circumstances. That alone was certain to gather lots of attention among Go amateurs.

"Nigiri" Hikaru commanded with his almost steady voice.

"Now, now, I did agree on no handicaps. But people will talk if I nigiri with a boy who is young enough to be my grandson. You take black" Kitajima suppressed his sneer. The cheekier the boy acted, the more fun this game would turn out to be once this little one got crushed into pieces.

Hikaru pulled the bowl with black stones to his side. His brows creased into one another, making the sternest face ever seen on a six year old. When Kitajima finally sat still, Hikaru bowed his head and muttered formality quietly.

He started with a hand on the upper right star point. Kitajima did the same on the left. Black went 3-4 on the lower right, followed by white 4-3 on the left side.

Hikaru made a small pause, staring at white latest stone. He gulped, trying to calm his dry throat. His hands started to feel sticky. _'Calm down, Hikaru. This man isn't your onii-chan'_ He bit his lips.

His next hand came as a surprise to those watching the game. Hikaru made a knight move on 3-5 above Kitajima's 4-3 on the lower left corner, a daring move even for a grown up player. This boy wanted a bloody fight and he showed it on the board.

_'Feisty, are you? Well, let's see if you have the skill to back it up' _Kitajima placed his next stone calmly on 5-3, a knight move to Hikaru lower left stone.

Some ten moves into the game and both players, bystanders included, were starting to see the faint outline of what would be a hard to win game for black. While white (Kitajima) had roughly claimed the upper left and the right side of the board, black had a very weak wall on the left side and a fight to win in the bottom area, not to mention that his upper corner was threatened as well.

Hikaru stared at the board, not batting an eye in the least when he moved to extend his black in the bottom area. _'You think you can fence me out with that kind of wall? Well, try this!"_

They exchanged hands as Kitajima tried to plunge into Hikaru's left side. After a few more hands, the boy had succeeded creating a solid line to fend off white but at a price of closing his own chance to advance to the center.

Kitajima smirked as he took Hikaru's black that was in Atari off the board. That ought to deal some mental effect to the boy since the youngsters didn't like their stones taken. They didn't like the idea of sacrificing for the greater good.

But Hikaru was never an ordinary boy. His next move came quickly as if he was praying for the spot he just took. Not only that he didn't fall for Kitajima's mental plan but, with a few more hands, he successfully claimed the upper right corner which previously was dying.

Kitajima gritted his teeth. The boy had some guts, good, this made beating the boy all the more worthwhile. He made another knight move to jump into the center. It was a very good move as it prevented Hikaru's black to further his territory from the upper right corner where he had recently dominated. The crowd seemed to agree as most of them nodded when Kitajima let go his hand from the stone.

The middle age man smirked. _'Now show me if you have it in you. I, for one, don't believe in beginner's luck. Luck has nothing to do with this game. It is about experience and knowledge of the game that matters. For someone as young as you, I bet you wouldn't dare to jump…'_

And then Hikaru jumped into the center, a beautiful, daring move from white's latest stone. That move alone silenced every soul watching the game, even those people nearby had turned their heads as the eerie silence started to seep into the surrounding areas.

"Hey, what happened? What did that boy just do?" whispering the new comer.

"See that lone stone in the middle? He just placed it there. What an arrogant boy" whispered back by someone from the onlookers

"Interesting, how old did you say the boy is again?" this time the voice came from the back.

"I guess he is in elementary school, at best. He can't be younger than that to play like this"

Kitajima felt a heat spreading to his cheeks. If the boy thought he could get away with just that move, he'd destroyed his upper right corner. He then placed a stone into the boy's territory. Hikaru couldn't ignore this and he chased white's group out of his now reduced corner. There wasn't many left but he'd live.

"Heh, that guy has just gotten serious" came more whisper

"What's the point giving it all to a mere boy? Is he really that good or the guy just lousy?" the other guy chuckled. Kitajima's head turned at this. "Hey! I don't want commentators to my game" he bellowed

They continued their fight to the center as Hikaru managed to create a shape that threw Kitajima's group into one big cluster. It turned out that Hikaru was aiming for the man's right side of the board from the beginning. And now the boy even had a chance to connect his newly gained territory from Kitajima to his own bottom right while still maintaining a good prospect in the center.

Kitajima was now gulping his sand dry throat. He couldn't believe an amateur player like himself had been cornered into making eyes to survive, and by an opponent no other than this elementary school boy.

Hikaru didn't wait for his opponent to recover. He moved to take off Kitajima's stone that was in Atari. That very stone was also the last straw to form a solid wall for white's survival. No, Hikaru didn't know how to play mind game.

They continued their bloody fight. Kitajima crept into Hikaru's bottom area. Hikaru took off another white stone, reducing a chance for white to play in the center as his influence sprung bigger and wilder. A few more hands from both players and Hikaru decided to make another sneaky move.

A move at 3-3 at the upper left corner, originally Kitajima's area but now Hikaru decided that the guy got too big of a chunk and that can be bitten off so he played there to invade white.

"Hey! Wasn't that move too deep? No way would that man let this kid gets away with his territory"

But no random reply came. The crowd seemed to finally change their opinions about this boy at this point. There was a high possibility for him to steal the area and get away with it, based on his skill they all witnessed just moments ago. This loud mouth brat did have a skill to back it up.

Now the game had finally reached yose. The two of them alternated their hands to solidify their territories. Hikaru gained the entire left side, most of the bottom and the right side safe for the small corners in the bottom left and the top right for Kitajima.

At this point of the game, it wasn't about their little bet any more. Kitajima was losing his face along with the center area of the board. Even though he had put forth his desperate fight, it didn't seem like he would come out as a winner for this game at all.

The boy seemed to realize this too as his posture lazed back into his chair, his breath long and soft as if saying he was done placing stones. Some of the bystanders were glancing at each other before landing their final gaze on the boy who now had a bright smile on his face.

"Go get your damn fan" he grunted as Hikaru spun down the path back to the shop.

~o0O0o~

Shirakawa Mishio walked around the event ground, his eyes searched for a man in a traditional kimono. He wished the man himself could see the game he had witness but as he didn't, at least he would play it out for the man. His wandering gaze fell on the younger version of his master, the child prodigy Touya Akira. The boy seemed to be enjoying himself, watching games after games all day long.

"Akira kun, do you know where your father is?"

"Good afternoon, Shirakawa san. I think he's still in the back with other pros. I was with him just a moment ago" the six year old Go addict pointed to the door which he had just exited. "I'll go with you if you'd like"

"Were they busy? I have something I need to show him" Shirakawa started to head towards the door, accepting Akira's offer ever so subtle.

"They were taking a break. Father had just finished commenting a game"

"I think you'll like what you will see" Shirakawa smiled "By the way, Akira kun, do you happen to know a boy your age, named Fujiwara Hikaru?"

~o0O0o~

Hikaru ran to the shop. He completely forgot his own match which was already started around twenty minutes ago. _'I'll get the fan first then I'll rush to my match'_ he mused

When he reached the shop, his eyes immediately searched for his priced fan. After finding the old owner, Hikaru almost yelled at the man "The fan, gramps, where is my fan?"

"What? You won? Against that man?" the owner wore the same look as those men who had watched the game until it was finished. Hikaru couldn't care less about how shock the man was. He only wanted his fan.

"Yes, I did. Now give me that fan" he urged the old man

"Do you want to write some…" the old owner was cut off

"No, leave it as it is" Hikaru fidgeted. He nearly gave in to the idea of biting his nails while he waited for the old man to finish his packing. "Are we done yet?"

"Hikaru? What are you doing here? I was going to watch your game" Shindou Heihachi came out from behind his grandson, a few Go books in his hands.

"G-Grandpa!" Hikaru stuttered

~o0O0o~

It turned out that Hikaru didn't make it in time for the game and as a result, had lost by forfeit. It took the old Shindou all his wits to convince the boy out of his sulking mood and all it took were some homemade cookies from his wife and a game of Go at his place.

"Come on, grandpa, another game!" Hikaru whined

"Wait Hikaru, let me take a break" the old Shindou never thought he would hear himself saying this line again in his life time. His grandson's character was almost the copy of his brother's, although the former never had a chance to know him personally. Their love of the game was unmatched, so much that they could keep playing and forgot about their meals.

"I'll get you some more cookies and a hot cup of tea for myself"

"Wah~ cookies!" Hikaru smiled wholeheartedly, his sadness from losing the match earlier long forgotten.

_'I want to play more'_ a voice said quietly after his grandfather disappeared behind the door.

"Grandpa?" Hikaru thought he heard his grandfather from the garden. The boy ran to the back of the house but he couldn't find anyone there.

_'More games'_ the same voice whispered softly, this time from the small pond near the storage shred. Hikaru followed as fast as he could but he still couldn't find his grandfather once he was next to the pond. He looked into the water, observing his own reflection when the view of the shred began taking a clear shape. One of its windows suddenly snapped shut when Hikaru was starring into the shred's second floor through its reflection in the water. He would have thought it was the wind's doing if he hadn't seen a white figure reaching an arm out to pulled on its leaf.

"Grandpa?" Hikaru giggled. It wasn't everyday that his grandfather decided to play hide and seek with him. He stormed into the shred, spun his body to climb up the dark stairs. He finally found himself on the dusty second floor, his eyes switching back and fourth in an effort to find the old man. Since the floor was dusty, he'd use this to spot some footprints. That'd easily lead him to...

There were no footprints to be spotted, not even a single one. How did his grandfather do this? The longer time he spent engrossing in his thought, the more he realized that something didn't feel right in this situation. A cold chill started running down his spine. Every single hair on his body was slowly rising for no apparent reason. His mind though was numbed, told him to start running. Hikaru would gladly obey his own wish if only his legs allowed him to.

_'This time, for my own sake'_ the same sad voice echoed through the attic.

"Who's there?" Hikaru nervously stared at the old crate where the voice seemed to have originated from. His legs automatically moved closer to the spot. He finally stopped by an old piece of wrapping cloth which seemed to have covered another object. For some unknown reason, his hands moved to pull the cloth out of its place, revealing an old Goban underneath.

"A...Goban?" His hand shot to its surface. The corners of his lips slowly curled upward. The wooden board was smooth and shiny. It was hard to believe that his grandfather would leave such a wonderful board in this moldy place and used a normal quality one in his living room instead. "Why did he keep it here?" He muttered mindlessly.

His small fingers abruptly halted at a crimson stain on one of the board's corners. It couldn't be a paint. No one would dare vandalizing such an expensive looking board. "Is that…blood?" Hikaru snatched his hand back as horror began creeping up on him for the second time.

'_Little one, did you see it?'_

"Who's there!? Who are you!?"

'_You can hear me?'_

"I'm not deaf! Show yourself!"

'_Oh, gods in heaven, I am grateful for the chance you have given to me. I shall now able to play the game I love so dearly, once again'_

Hikaru felt a wave of emotions rushed into him. His heart was clenched as he felt regret and loneliness. His inside was stirred with happiness and anticipation. His tears gradually rolled down his pink, smooth cheeks.

"Hikaru, what are you doing?" Hikaru remembered now. This voice certainly belonged to his grandfather. Slowly, he turned to face him.

"Grandpa" his voice came out hushed and quiet. Then everything around him went cold.


	5. Promise you

Woah! dear readers, please don't get upset. I have my own reasons for putting a Ghost in the Goban into my fic. I can't tell you why he is here as that will spoil the future chapters. But at least, you'll have a glimpse of who he is in this chapter. As for my bad habit (cliff hanger), I didn't mean to do it but I just have to limit the amount of words in each chapter or else you guys will be reading the end of the series by chapter ten (another reason is to recharge my brain before I start again the next day) I hope you can forgive me considering my steady update (fingers crossed).

**~0~0~Reviews~0~0~ **I can't thank you enough for insightful reviews as they help keep my thought floating. I SO LOVE CRITICS when they based on the actual info and not bias view (not that any of you are biased) SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Even though some of you only wanted to encourage my writing speed and more update. I feel very grateful.

**reesessweetie**: I decided to give 'the Ghost' a complete opposite personality from Sai. More like the origin of Hikaru's rudeness but he'll be fun to read. And I know how you feel about the die hard fans of Akira. That boy needs to tone them down before I start my own circle of die hard fans for Hikaru. As for Akira's isolation, I don't know if earlier meeting would help him or make it worse for him. Remember how he acted after he found Hikaru? He went from devotion to obsession over the period of weeks. Though Akira will have more friends in my fic but his circle will less likely expand beyond the Go world. At least this won't be as bad as in the manga/anime. Thank you for your review. I have fun reading it.

**Kanrei**: The plan which Hikaru's parents had for him played a big part in this fic. Glad you like it :D

**mal123**: Thanks. I'll try to keep this update rate going. The much anticipated match will have to wait til the next chapter tho. sorry and thx for your review

**anonymous**: Sorry for the cliff hanger T^T About the ghost, you just have to keep reading :D

**Akemi**: You sounded angry Y^Y I'll try my best not to leave the cliff hanger next time(if I can help it) Thank you for your review

Also thanks for the reviews from two **Guests **I hope you enjoy my latest update as well

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Hikaru no Go**

* * *

"Hikaru!" Mitsuko stormed into the room where her son was sleeping. She didn't expect to see a peaceful smile on the boy's sleeping face when she entered. Hikaru was lying on his side, snoring quietly.

"Is he…sleeping? What happened? Mitsuko looked to the old Shindou for an answer. Her father in law grinned slightly. The only reason he held back his laugh was because he felt guilty for not noticing the boy's fatigue sooner.

"Exhaustion, he had been running around. Playing games all day"

"Games? Was he playing that board game again?"

"No, no, I brought him to soccer game today. There was a small event for boys to participate, you see" Heihachi hastily made up a story to cover for his little trouble maker.

"Hikaru!" Another guest bolted into the room. This one was a teenager who seemed to be on the verge of tears. "Grandfather, how is Hikaru?"

"He's fine. Only sleeping" Heihachi wished that he didn't have to repeat himself again but he still had to explain to his wife about her grandson's condition, a process which would ended up with him being lectured for letting their grandson spending to much time with his beloved game.

Sai walked over to Hikaru's bedside, his hand carefully caressing his little brother's hair when his grandfather finally spoke. "Sai, can you look after your brother for a while? Your mother and I have to go talk to Hikaru's doctor" Sai ceased his brows slightly but gave a reply nod anyway. For now, he didn't feel like getting involved in adults' matter. He had his own important announcement to break and his dear brother had to be the first one to know.

"Hurry and wake up, you demon, I have loads of stories to tell you" he whispered teasingly as his other two relatives exited the room.

~o0O0o~

"Tell me, Mitsuko, why are you so against him playing Go? You don't even seem to mind if he has an interest in anything else. So why only this game?" Heihachi didn't bother to hide his frustration as soon as the door behind them was shut.

"Father, I know it upsets you about the whole situation" Mitsuko sighed at the thought of dealing with another Go fanatic. "I know Hikaru better than anyone when it comes to this matter. His obsession with the game is not healthy. I don't want to give him an empty hope knowing he wouldn't have his future in it. It is better for him if he can give it up now"

"Giving up? What are you talking about? Your sons are prodigies. Do you know how unrealistic it is to reach their current levels without a formal mentor?" Heihachi fumed

"I know what they are, father. But it doesn't mean I can leave the Fujiwaras heirless. I decided to let Sai walk the path he chose. With him entering the Go world, I don't believe Hikaru will be needed there anymore"

Heihachi was speechless. It was true that the little Hikaru was brilliant, enough to be called a genius. But his Go was very similar to his older brother, even the way they considered their moves were almost the same. At this rate, Hikaru would only grow into another 'Sai'. The old Shindou hung his head low at his own thought.

"I've discussed about Hikaru's position as an heir with my parents in Kyoto. We've decided to start his formal training next summer when he has turn seven. I think I should let you know" Mitsuko carried on firmly.

"What about his Go? Are you going to make him quit?" Heihachi trailed off at the end of his sentence, wishing he would never have to witness the expression on his grand child's face when he received the news.

"He would have to quit by himself eventually as his training schedules become busier. I only hope you understand when the time comes"

~o0O0o~

Back in the hospital room, the boy in his kindergarten year was breathing quietly in his sleep. His brother was sitting in a chair next to his bed, reading a Go book in his hands. Sai's concentration was so great that he failed to notice his brother's lips moved as he murmured an unfamiliar name of a Go player whose history dated back around a century ago.

_Hikaru found himself sitting next to a man in his casual summer yukata. They both sat on a terrace of some Japanese traditional house. The man was directing his gaze over the low ivy fence of his mansion to the sight of the vast seashore by the village below._

_"Er…who are you?" Hikaru nervously started a question. The man didn't seem to be in his best mood but answered him anyway "I'm the owner of this house" he replied curtly._

_"Why am I here? How did I get here? Where's grandpa?" Hikaru started panicking at the thought of him being alone in an unknown place with a stranger he had never seen before._

_"Urgh~ what a talkative little brat, which one of your questions you want answered?" the man grunted at him._

_"Every one of them?" the boy shrugged. What kind of person would choose to reply only the question he felt like answering?_

_"Only one of them" the man demanded firmly in his low voice. His brows squished together, creating two vertical lines in the middle._

_Instead of pestering the man further with a list of questions that didn't concern him, Hikaru decided it would be better if he could lighten up the atmosphere between them first. "Then, what's your name?"_

_The man's eyes finally shot to the boy's face. The paddle fan in his hand had also been paused at that moment "Kuwabara Torajirou" he grinned mischievously._

~o0O0o~

Touya Akira had always been like a grandson to the patrons of his father's salon. The boy was smart and polite unlike most of the peers his age. He wasn't a talkative type but he did know how to carry a conversation with the adults. But lately, the boy had gone quiet. He would arrive in the salon after school and started reviewing a particular game over and over, wearing a serious frown on his face. Sometime he would snap out of this habit and go back to his normal Go study. But he had never offered a game to any of the patrons like he usually did before.

"How about asking him yourself, Kitajima san? I'm sure with his character he won't turn down a game" Ichikawa said in a matter-of-factly tone. She was also puzzled by the little Akira's change in behavior as of late but didn't have a chance to ask as the boy looked like he always needed his personal space since he started reviewing that god forsaken game a month ago.

"He is not easy to approach anymore. Look at him, when was the last time have you seen a nearly seven year old boy studying 'an old man's game' like his life depends on it?" Kitajima sighed

"I heard the rumor that it was your game. So if you ask him for a discussion, maybe he'd start talking about it more" Ichikawa really hope her idea would help getting the boy out of his 'flunk'. She only needed some cooperation from the man standing in front of her. Kitajima said nothing as he slowly walked away from the young part-time receptionist. The boy didn't even seem to know that someone was approaching him.

"Akira sensei, do you mind if I want to discuss my game with you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Kitajima san, I was reviewing the game Shirakawa san had showed me. Maybe next time?"

Kitajima just had his biggest surprise in years. He never thought the soft Touya Akira would turn down a request to discuss a game. But he wasn't about to give up easily. "That was my game you're studying anyway. Can't I at least listen to your thought on it?" he pleaded

Akira was frozen. So it was true that Kitajima san had played the game with this boy. He must have known how the boy looked like. No, he could ask for that later. Right now, he had something else in mind. He'd love to know how strong the boy really was. He would need the man's help, gauging the boy's strength.

"Kitajima san, it had been a while. How about we play a game?" he smiled sweetly

~o0O0o~

Sai frowned slightly at his reflection in the full body mirror. He was certain that he would be the first (and probably the last) Go player his age to wear a formal kimono to the annual certificate ceremony. Even though he couldn't deny the kimono suited him very well, he still preferred a formal business suit like the one Ogata had worn to their Shin shodan series. This traditional wear made him even more standout from his peers. And Sai was never a person who appreciated any excessive amount of attention.

"See what I told you? That's how a Fujiwara man should look" Mitsuko couldn't contain her excite as she admired her son. The teenage prodigy blushed even more than he had earlier.

"Mother, I still think a normal western suit is formal enough"

"None sense, how can I let you wear those plain clothes when we have these expensive wears at our expense" Mitsuko smiled to herself knowingly as she eyed the family crests on Sai's chest but said nothing else to her son. She patted his back gently, pushing him forward as if releasing him from the spot. "Your hair is getting longer. Shouldn't you get a hair cut?" She reached up her hand to comb his shiny black locks, causing Sai to jump in surprise.

"Yes, mother. I couldn't find the right time because of my busy schedule but I'll get a hair cut soon" Sai said. A spray of sweat was barely visible over his hair line. His hand shot up to cover his ear.

Mitsuko was slightly taken back at her older son. He had never acted aggressively towards her ever since she had raised him. But a moment ago, Sai had forcefully brushed her hand away from his hair. Even if he didn't put much force into it, Mitsuko still felt strangely distanced. "Oh, alright, I'll go wake your brother then"

Another surprise hit her off guard as her son walked off ahead, blocking her way to Hikaru's bedroom.

"Mother, you should go prepare the table. Hikaru is quite a bad riser lately so let me deal with him" Sai smiled at her sweetly. He also added a light peck on Mitsuko's cheek to seal the deal. That worked like a magic as his mother dazedly smiled back and promptly made her way to the kitchen.

Sai sighed inwardly as he slowly cracked Hikaru's bedroom door open. His naughty brother was still in his bed, smiling in his sleep. He seemed to enjoy his bed time a lot ever since he came back from the hospital. It surprised him immensely that one night when he came home late to find Hikaru had already gone to bed instead of sitting in his room, waiting for their nightly game. Maybe, his new hobby had already worked its spell in pulling his Go loving brother away from the game they shared together. Sai could only hope his suspicion would never come true.

But Hikaru being a bad riser was just a cover up for the real reason, another secret that Sai and Hikaru shared since yesterday afternoon when they were out hunting for worthy opponents to sharpen their skills. Hikaru stirred as Sai tugged the fluffy blanket off Hikaru's small form, a tiny flicker of light flashed from his right ear. Sai's lips were straitened into one evil grin.

"Wake up, sleepy head. You'll be late for school" he fanned the blanket in his hand against the poor Hikaru who curled up even more as he tried to keep his body warmed. When it appears that his attempt was failing miserably, he begrudgingly cracked his eyes open.

"You stupid onii-chan! We were almost done with discussion!" Sai still kept his grin on his face. He was mostly used to Hikaru's irrelevant ranting in the morning. It seemed that even though his brother was fading away from Go, his mind still couldn't give up the game.

"Another Go related dream? Who were you studying with then?" Sai teased.

"Honinbou Shusaku!" Hikaru yelled at the top of his lung. Sai pretended to ignore his temper. "Then we can study him later together, right?" Hikaru grunted back but at least he seemed to calm down a lot. "Geez, you don't understand nii-chan. Anyways, you promise to help me study right? You can't take it back now" Sai nodded eagerly "I'll come home early today. You! Hurry back home after school, alright?" He winked

Hikaru giggled at his brother's mock scold. It was obvious that Sai was ridiculing their mother and it was refreshing to see, coming from her favorite son.

"By the way, nii-chan, that stud earring looks good on you"

"Same goes for you"

~o0O0o~

Touya Kouyo was talking to a reporter from Go weekly magazine when the chatter around the room was muffed down considerably. He looked around to see if anything had cause such silence to befall upon the people in the hall. His action took less than five seconds to bear its fruit as one of the reporters went running into an elegant young player who was clad in a traditional, formal kimono. Kouyo eyed the familiar crests on his chest as people began their little chats about this new comer.

"Oh, there he is, the new mint pro with a straight win record"

"I think I saw an earring! He's kinda cute"

"Look at that kimono! What a show off!"

"Wait until you hear his nickname 'modern Shusaku' huh, give me a break"

"Pay them no mind" Kouyo walked up behind the teenager who looked like he'd rather pay a million than to be standing there in the middle of the wolves pack, alone. The beautiful boy turned to face him. When their eyes met, the boy seemed to realize who Kouyo was and bowed down gracefully. "Touya sensei" he said in a calm voice.

"I don't believe we have met but I have heard about you from my student, Ogata kun" Kouyo's brows lifted ever so slightly as he saw Sai's eyes widened at the mention of his student's name "There is no need to be alarmed. He admires you very much. He also asked for you to join my study group. I agree that it was a very good idea but the final decision depends on you"

"It'd be an honor, sensei" Sai bowed again but not as low as his first. Kouyo smiled slightly before turning to look behind, searching for his son. The little Akira was holding a plate in his hand, sneaking to get a view of the stranger his father was talking to without craning his neck.

"I'd like to introduce you to my son. This is Touya Akira. He is my only son and had turned seven last December. Akira is also in my study group" the older Touya turned to his son "Akira, this is a new pro for this year. He passed the exam with Ogata kun. His name is Fujiwara Sai"

Akira exchanged his bow at the end of the introduction. But he stopped mid way as he realized the teen's last name _'Fujiwara'_ he murmured

The two pros in the kimonos blinked as the boy Touya slowly raised his back as if he was in daze. Sai looked back and forth between two Father and son with his questioning gaze. Akira finally gathered himself "Fujiwara san, do you know the boy named 'Fujiwara Hikaru'?"

Sai instantly lid up at the mention of his brother. He assumed the boys must know each other "Oh, so you're friends with him. He must be quite a trouble maker at school. I apologize if he had bothered you in anyway"

"N-no, you've got it wrong. I mean, I don't know him personally but…my question is…are you related to him?"

"Akira" Kouyo warned his son in his quiet tone as the boy was showing eager to invade into the new pro's personal life. He couldn't deny that he also wished to know about that fact, although it'd only served to confirm his suspicion.

Sai went quiet for a while as he tilted his head to the side slightly. It wouldn't hurt any one if he revealed what relationship he had with Hikaru anyway.

"Yes, he is my younger brother" Sai smiled with a gentle hint in his eyes.


	6. Goodbye

Oh my God, I thought this chapter would be the end of me. I've gone through an interval of writer's block in the past few days and as a result, I've discovered I have problems writing **Akira kun** T^T. Can any one suggest a good fic that based on him? I need to do more research about his characters.

This chapter will be **the last chapter of this arch.** I hope to develop my characters further more in the next arch (Kyoto arch). I expect the plot line will get a little more complicated as I introduced more characters into the story. But I'll do my best not to make this fic confusing. I hope you readers continue to support me.

As an apology for my late update, this chapter has a thousand more words to the usual length. I intended to make it 5,000 in total so I could upload two chapters at once but my brain has finally shut down for the day. I'm sorry you have to wait for the new chapter for continuation.

Here's the favorite part of my A/N. Thank you for **reviews**, readers! Although I cannot follow some of your expectations because the long plot line forced the story down that way. But the characters' development will become more exciting in the future.

With the help of your reviews, I was able to skip the discussion with potential beta-readers. Thank you **reesessweetie** for your constant reviews which help me improve my works greatly. Thank you **Kanrei** for pointing out story milestones that I wasn't able to see from the reader POV. Thank you **Anonymous** and **Amaya93 **for your praises and encouragements. I hope to see you again in the next arch too.

Also thank you all the followers and favs. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well or if you don't, leave critics (I love them too)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go**

* * *

It had been months since Hikaru first welcomed a century old guest into his dream. Since that fateful encounter, this particular guest had visited Hikaru night after night without fail, but only at nighttimes when Hikaru was asleep.

"Urgh! Why can't I get out of your dream? This is ridiculous! Playing with you is boring!" Torajirou whined. He had his hands on his hair, pulling on it in the way that it would have come off if he was alive. Hikaru eyes had darkened as he imagined what damage he could deal to the man in front of him with the help of the Go bowl in his hand.

"Like I said, the only way you can enjoy playing is by teaching me to be as good as you. Then we can start playing equally!" Hikaru shouted back. His face was red from the rising anger which he barely contained within his emotional depth.

"And how long have I been teaching you, half a year? Oh, heaven forbid. My first and only student since the day I have lived turned out to be this sloppy brat? What grave deed had I done wrong in my previous life?" Torajirou mock sobbed as he skillfully duck the fully loaded Go bowl which flied in his direction. His 'student' had snapped, yet again.

"Five months! Learn how to count, idiot! And what kind of teacher would crush his student to the ground in Shidou Go like you did?" Hikaru barked.

"It's because you annoyed me. All these months and I can't see much change in your Go except the same old style you had before and a little bit of my Go. Can you imagine how frustrating that is? Tell me something, you lazy brat, have you ever study other players' games since I came to live within your dreams?"

Hikaru was silenced with that last blow from his teacher. "But I don't have anyone to help explaining those games. My brother has always been busy as of late. We only get to play a few games before I go to bed. And those books are just too hard to read by myself. I can't sneak out to grandpa and have him read for me everyday"

Torajirou snorted but his eyes were softened as he looked at his seven year old student. "Those are just excuses. You can just memorized those games before coming to see me at nights"

"But" Hikaru protested. The boy had also calmed down when he heard the change in his teacher's tone "How can I memorize the games when I can't even understand them?"

"Don't always rely on other people's explanation, Hikaru. Sit and play the sequences out if it helps you to see the better pictures. Try to understand by yourself, the motives behind each and every move. There is not a single move that is meaningless. If you don't think carefully before placing your stone, you're throwing away your victory" Torajirou brought out his paddle fan and started fanning himself. For some unknown reason, Hikaru dreams were always in summer, even if it was spring in the actual world.

"Say, Torajirou, why is it always summer here in my dreams?" Hikaru asked his instructor mindlessly as he gazed out from the terrace to the village by the sea below.

"Sensei" Torajirou stressed on the word "And it seems like I have control over everything here. It is summer because I wish for it. And seeing as you cannot leave when I don't release you or until someone wakes you, that is quite a solid prove in itself" The Go master, on the other hand, eyed the scattered stones on the tatami floor. "Now to prove my point, I order you to pick up those stones or sit and listen to my preach until someone comes and pulls you out from my world" Hikaru grumpily kneeled and started picking up stone after stone as he heard a satisfying snicker behind his back.

~o0O0o~

"Good afternoon, Fujiwara san" Ichikawa greeted her new acquaintance. She still remembered the first time when Akira kun had introduced the boy as the salon's part time instructor. Her heart raced like it was about to burst from her chest as she met the boy's alluring gaze on that day, not that she felt any different now that it was three months later.

"Good afternoon, Ichikawa san. Is Touya kun here?" Sai placed his bag on the counter as he signed his name on his employee card, starting his evening part time job. "I think he booked an extra lesson with me today but I'm not sure about the time. Can you check my schedule for me, please?" Ichikawa nodded. She hoped Sai would begin warming up to her as they had been working together for quite sometime but the boy still acted formal and polite around her (actually he was polite around everyone except for those customers who were younger than him safe for Akira kun).

"Yes, he has. And your lesson with him will start in about five minutes. Do you want anything to drink? I can bring it to you later"

"Thank you very much. I'll have iced green tea then" Sai smiled as he handed her his blazer. Ichikawa noted that his unique light flowery scent was lingered on its fabric and not the smell of his sweat, even though it was a hot day outside.

Sai walked to the back of the Salon. His eyes fell onto a seven year old boy who was staring intently at the board in front of him. It was a game which Touya sensei had played against Ichiryu sensei in the recent Honinbou league. "Should we review that game together?" Sai greeted the boy when he was in the range of hearing. The young Touya looked up just in time to see the new pro taking his seat on the opposite of the Goban. His eyes lid up instantly as he realized what the teen had just offered.

"I want to hear what you think about this move my father made, here" Akira pointed to the center of the board where white (Kouyo) had suddenly jumped into black's area (Ichiryu). Sai paused for a moment before he grabbed a few stones, mixed in colors.

"I think Touya sensei was playing along for the moment" he placed a few stones down the board "See, here is tricky. He turned Ichiryu sensei's trapped into his defense. If Ichiryu sensei was to take white over here, black's shape on the side would begin to fall" Sai placed his last stone. He glanced to the boy when he didn't hear any reaction in reply. "It was a good game but I think it's still a little too hard for your self-study. What do you say we review some lower level games?"

Akira kept quiet as he sat still. His face was stern and serious "Fujiwara san, did you talk to your brother about us playing a game?" Akira asked him in return as his hands moved to clear the board. He desperately hoped the young pro did.

"I did but he still haven't give me the answer" Sai didn't have a heart to tell the young Touya that his brother just brashly refused the game, saying that he didn't know the boy thus he felt creepy playing a boy who seek him out personally for just one game. Akira looked dejected as soon as he heard Sai's reply.

"You know, Touya kun, we can always play together in the meantime. I promise I'll set up a match for you two very soon. So please don't put on that sad look, alright?" Sai couldn't stand seeing the young Touya looking depressed. The boy was at the same age as Hikaru and that reminded him of his younger brother after all. Akira wasn't quite cheered up but he did his best putting on a forlorn smile. At least he felt somewhat contented, playing games with the very person who had been teaching the mysterious boy until recently. At least, the boy's overwhelming skill was not a surprise to him any more.

~o0O0o~

It was one fine Saturday when Sai woke up late in the morning. He walked down to the living room and saw Hikaru laid flat on his stomach, his elbows supported his upper body as his hands cupped around his face. He was nonchalantly studying a Go game, chewing a salty Japanese cracker in his mouth at the same time.

"What a disgraceful manner you have there, Hikaru. Eating or studying or napping, choose one" Sai frowned as his brother glanced up. The boy didn't even move an inch despite his nagging. Sai noted that his little brother had become even more tolerant to any preaching lately "Nii-chan, come see this for a bit" Hikaru waggled his hand, urging his brother to come closer.

_He ignored me_. Sai grunted mentally while stomping his feet onto tatami mats. His manner lesson was cut off as he saw the game on the board, a Go weekly magazine was laid opened next to the boy. Sai's eyes widen as he recognized whose game it was.

"What happened to the kids nowadays?" he mumbled before kneeling down beside his dear brother who poked the center area of the board repeatedly in frustration. "This move over here, what was this guy thinking?" Sai eyed the lone white stone that had jumped into black's dominated area. He grinned to himself, thinking that he had just answer the same question a few days ago. He was about to explain to Hikaru when he got cut off for the second time.

"You see, if black (Ichiryu) made his next move here instead of where he had played then that should force white (Kouyo)to response differently" Hikaru pointed to the other two spots where he thought white would fall back into. "So isn't it better for white to play here, next to black stone instead of jumping into black's trap. He'd have had a moku more as the result too" Hikaru looked up with a frown. He had been frustrating for days with this game. Surely, his brother must have felt the same.

But he had, unexpectedly, met with Sai's stunned expression. Hikaru quickly switched his gaze back to the game. _Am I wrong? Nii-chan must have thought of some different moves that I didn't see. Man, I feel so stupid!_

What Hikaru didn't know was that Sai hadn't try playing those moves himself. Would he see them if Hikaru didn't point them out, he was certain that he could. He only felt disappoint with himself since he realized that he was satisfied only reading the moves the way he thought was best when there were other moves, better moves, waiting to be discovered.

"Nii-chan, did I say something wrong?" Hikaru woke him out of his trance. Sai shook his head slowly as he didn't know how he should response. Before the two brothers could go on with their conversation, the door bell rang.

"Father, mother, aren't you suppose to arrive tomorrow?" Mitsuko was the one to get the door. The two brothers had gone quiet as they strained their ears for any following conversation. _Why are they here? Mother didn't tell us anything about them coming to visit._ The two brothers didn't like seeing the relatives from their mother side. The Kyoto folks were well known for their aristocratic characters in addition of being strictly conservative. For the young Fujiwaras, the old couple was too stiff to be around.

"We wish to visit our Tokyo branch today since we will only come here to pick up Hikaru tomorrow" Mitsuko's mother said with her best cheerful tone while her Husband remained silent. Hikaru turned sharply in the direction of the voice, his face filled with terror.

"Oh, I haven't mention Hikaru's training to any of them because I thought you'd stay over for tomorrow night. I was hoping for your help, talking to the children" Mitsuko's voice sounded muffled but that didn't escaped Hikaru's ears.

"My training, what are they talking about nii-chan?" Hikaru's head had gone blanked as he looked to Sai for help. His hollow face turned to the very pale Sai who was about to collapse from his uncontrollable shudder.

"This is exactly why your children don't listen to you, Mitsuko. You're too soft. All of this mess wouldn't happen in the first place if you were firm on having Sai taking over our business. Now we have to train the younger one all over again" The oldest Fujiwara bellowed in his low, grumpy voice.

"What is this? Mom, what is grandfather talking about?" Hikaru was on the verge of tears. Was his family about to send him away to Kyoto? Did Sai know about this? When it was apparent that no one in the house would want to be the one breaking the news, his grandfather volunteered.

"You'll be coming with us to Kyoto for your training to take over the business" Hikaru was stunned as he listened to his scary grandfather. He didn't know what their business is. But he had always known that it was Sai who would be the owner once he was old enough. Why was he the one receiving training now? He turned to Sai for the third time. His brother was clutching on the door, his lips pressed tightly together as he avoided Hikaru's direct gaze.

"I didn't mean for it to turn out like this, Hikaru. I'm sorry" Sai choked on those terrible words quietly as Hikaru went into panic.

"But I want to play Go. I want to be a pro. Sai promised me that we'll play together" he yelled at his grandparents who didn't look too appreciate with his manner.

"Stop your childish act. How can a young master of Erizen behave so wild? We won't stop you from playing Go but you can forget about being a pro"

That vanishing last straw of hope stabbed painfully into the heart of the two brothers. Sai was now sobbing into his fist. Hikaru was…

"Why now? You folks never care about me until nii-chan refuses to take over the shop. I'm just his replacement?"

"Hikaru, you've got it wrong" Sai blurted out. He tried to reach for his brother but the boy wrestled him off. "I hate you, nii-chan" He gritted his teeth as he ran away from the house. The heartbroken Hikaru even forgot to put on his shoes.

~o0O0o~

"Weird weather" Hikaru glanced up to the bright sky when the raindrops fell onto his eyes. It was a light shower but it kept pouring down for quite sometime, without any sign of stopping. Some people on the street stared at him openly, some left a considerable distance away from him. Hikaru suspected it was because they noticed that he was walking only with his socks. Anyway, he couldn't really care less right now.

His feet finally stopped at the sign of a Go salon hanging into the pavement. Hikaru stared blankly at it for a long moment before decided to go in. _It would be interesting if they let me in for a game instead of handing me to the police. My luck is out anyway, why not trying my worst? _

The door bell rang brightly, calling the receptionist behind the counter to view. Ichikawa bent down slightly over the build-in desk to see a boy in a black and yellow t-shirt, fetching his wallet from his pants. His hair and shoulders were sprayed with raindrops "How much for a student fee?" he asked glumly

"That'd be 500 yen" she replied while sliding a register to the boy "It's not your first time right? Please write your name and level here. I'll go find some towel to dry you up then we can look for someone to play with you together" but the boy didn't seem to listen as he discarded the register and walked to one of the tables by the aquarium.

"I think we've met before" Akira looked up from the board to the boy who was standing an arm away from him. He tilted his head slightly as he stared at the boy's face "Oh, it's you from the competition. I couldn't make it there on the second day. Did you make it to the final?" Akira couldn't recall the boy's name but he knew that the winner in that competition wasn't him. The boy shook his head slowly. The young Touya thought he heard a faint chuckle coming from the boy's direction.

"Would be great if I did" he smiled sarcastically. Somehow, the air around this boy wasn't so relaxed comparing to the day they first met. Akira shrugged it off, choosing to blame the low lighting of the area for causing such eerie atmosphere. "How about a game?" the boy requested, the upper half of his face was barely visible in the shadow. Only those green eyes seemed to flash maliciously as he stared intently into Akira's pair. The boy moved to sit across him without waiting for his reply.

"How many handicaps do you want?" Akira pushed the bowl with black stones to the boy. He unintentionally added some edge in his tone. It couldn't be help that the boy's rudeness finally got a hold of him.

"How many handicaps do _**you**_ want?" the boy narrowed his eyes dangerously. It seemed that Akira had offended him by offering handicaps.

"You take black then" the young Touya said indifferently

"It's your lost" the boy smirked as he rolled a black stone between his fingers. His first hand came down strong as he slammed his first stone on the upper right star point. Akira blinked at the lack of formalities but he didn't expect much from the boy who barged in and forced a game out of him. He gracefully placed his own stone on the upper left corner, 4-5, just below the star point. The boy played a one point jump into the right side of the board. Akira claimed the lower right star point.

They started an early fight as Akira responded to the boy's 4-5 at the lower left corner, playing a one point approach below the black stone. The boy placed a knight move to block his corner but Akira stubbornly wrestled his way into the area. A few hands later, Akira roughly owned the lower left corner.

He went on to strengthen his upper right when the boy attacked his lower left again _'You don't really know when to give up, do you?'_ He attached another stone to form a wall against the boy's attack. However, the boy's next move came down instantly, slamming the black stone to position keima (knight's move) to Akira's right corner. The young Touya's eyes widen as he realized the boy's intention after that last stone. _'He's claiming the lower side of the board! But it's still too big of a jump. I don't need to be alarmed' _He placed his own white on the wide jump, outlining his territories on the left side. The boy continued with his own pace, imitating Akira's last move on the upper side of the board. Akira approached black's last stone carefully as he sneaked his glance up to the boy's face. His eyes were called back to the board as the boy began extending his area to the center. _'He plays as if he doesn't have any fear. How rare for the boy my age_' then his hand stopped midway in the air, still holding a white stone between his fingers _'The boy my age'_ He repeated the line in his mind as he looked back to the board, carefully replayed the sequences inside his head. His eyes widened as the familiarity of the boy's style began matching up with that of the new teenage pro. Akira bit his lips to suppress the excitement that riled up inside his body. He clenched the stone in his hand as he started coming up with a new plan.

_'There's only one way to find out' _he mused. His hand darted to the boy's black stone on the lower right corner, placing his white stone in black's supposed area. Black had evaded leisurely to the right side of the board but Akira wouldn't let him run away. After eighteen more hands into the fight, the boy managed to come out with the stronger wall for the lower side of the board, leaving the lower right corner to Akira. _'Don't think you can get away from me. The real game starts now'_

Akira daringly placed a stone inside black's upper right followed by another stone to threat the boy's jump to the center but it didn't seem to effect the boy's attention as he calmly blocked the threatening stone and made another jump. Akira frowned deeply _'Fine, keep running away. We'll see how far you can go'_ He chased the boy with his own parallel jump to the center.

It worked. The boy took a long paused after that block Akira made. His eyes scanned the board from left to right, top to bottom, and finally rest on Akira's upper left corner for several minutes. His eyes flashed viciously as he came down with another slapped on the board. That gesture didn't bode well with Akira but it was not enough to make him cowered with fear.

They continued to exchange hands as black made a small area out of Akira's upper left but the boy had paid the big price for it. His formation in the center was now broken by white's progressive attacks. Beads of sweat appeared along the boy's hair line.

Akira noted that the boy had been breathing heavily for quite some time. Well, he would probable had felt the same if he was in the boy's position. The boy had underestimated him and as a result, Akira was able to form a solid wall along the whole left side of the board. _'Your moves are not enough to fend my off. I know your style' _Akira grimaced

Hands after hands came down on the board. They had finally reached yose without any significant changes to the side area. Black had a big chunk out of his upper right corner but claimed less than fifteen mokus on the lower side of the board while white dominated the whole left side in addition of a considerably large part on the right side. It was apparent whose victory this game belongs…

Akira eyes widened in shock as his gaze fell onto the center area of the board. The previously dead group of black stones that was surrounded by white when they were playing in chuban (middle game) was revived without him realizing. Black had managed to connect his large group in the middle to his lower board. This miraculous come back was now haunting Akira's shape in the center which had been killed efficiently. There was no other way for him to secure more points at this state of the game. His eyes nervously switched from one corner to another as he recalculated his points.

But Hikaru didn't care about the victory anymore. All those words of praise from his grandpa (Heihachi) and his elderly friends, those admiring smiles from his brother, and those impressed looks on the amateur players kept circulating in his head like some poor written song with cliché phrases that hard to get rid from the head. The once treasured experiences had been turned into nightmares as he realized there was a boy his own age who could fight him on an equal ground. Suddenly, Hikaru wasn't so special like he had been told. Suddenly, his existence didn't feel necessary in the Go world any longer.

"Congratulation" Hikaru muttered quietly as he stood on his feet, preparing to leave. Akira's face shot up from the board, a frown reappeared between his brows "What do you…"

"Hope you have fun playing Go" a tear rolled down his cheeks as Hikaru bolted for the door. Akira rushed out after him, leaving the game he lost behind.

* * *

**The actual score? **

**White (Akira) has**

85 surrounded points  
10 prisoners (5.5 points komi rule)  
95 points total (100 1/2 points total with komi)

**Black (Hikaru) has**

85 surrounded points  
16 prisoners  
101 points total

**Hikaru won by 6 moku without komi, (or by half moku with 5 1/2 komi). **

**The actual Kifu is from Gokifu dot com. A match between Go Seigen (3dan/B) VS Murashima Yoshikatsu (4dan/W)**


	7. Tokyo Arc's Epilogue

This chapter is more of a side story and also serves as a prelude to Kyoto Arc. I was going to write more to this chapter but I decide against it as I want the new chapter to have a completely different mood from this one.

A little suggestion for your entertainment, I **strongly recommended **that you listen to_ **Cavalleria rusticana - Intermezzo (orchestra) **_while reading this chapter for an extra effect on your mood. But if you prefer reading it quietly, that should be fine too.

Now my to dear **reviewers, **thank you, as always. Up until this point in the story I start to feel some of you will be my regular reviewers and that makes my heart puffed with happiness and anticipation every time I post a new chapter. I'll keep working hard on this fic as my thanks to you.

**reesessweetie **I'm sorry this chapter is not very long but I promise you I'll try a longer one on the next chapter. As for the size of Kyoto, yes it **is** BIG. It even has its own Go institute which is, in a way, a branch of Tokyo's Go association but they work separately since the end of WWII. It's called **Kansai Ki-in**. (Tokyo's called Nihon Ki-in) **hint: remember the guy named Yashiro?**

**otakuzen** You held back your temper! I was really angry (even though I was the one coming up with the plot) I promise you these two (and Mitsuko) will get back what they deserve!

**Kanrei **Yes! And he did fulfill his request unintentionally. I bet he'd turn Akira down if he knew who he was. Sad~ it's their first and final game (for now)

**Anonymous **Hope you prepare some tissue for this chapter. Don't forget to turn on the suggested track, have it on repeatedly would be even better!

Hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoy writing it :D See you again soon!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go**

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"So you're saying…you quit playing Go?" Torajirou's right brow was pulled up slightly as he directed his gaze to his student. His hand alternated black and white stones onto the board while lazily sitting cross-legged on the cushion.

"There's no point playing when I can't become a pro" Hikaru huffed angrily as he was squatting outside. His hands were pulling out the weeds in his master's garden.

"Pity" the Go master said, pursing his lips as if he tried to suppress his darkened mood to himself. Hikaru wasn't so ignorant of his teacher's irritating gesture. He had spent ¼ of the day playing with the guy every night that he came to know his personal tutor so well, far too well…

"Stop pouting like some silly girl! Spill it!"

"Are you talking about yourself? I can only see one silly kid here and that brat is certainly not me" He said in a provoking tone which had dealt its effect beautifully on the boy since Hikaru immediately jumped to his feet.

"What do you know? You were the child prodigy who was taken away to play games for living. 'I' have to quit if I wish to live in this family"

A seat cushion flew directly into Hikaru's face, successfully silencing his whining. "I would still play even if I couldn't make any money out of it. I was never someone who would dwell on a petty reason like becoming a pro to play more games" Torajirou bellowed angrily. His face was bright red with rage.

"Oh? Then please tell me what is your noble reason" Hikaru said sarcastically. Torajirou, on the other hand, had grown quiet, only his eyes shone brightly with determination.

"The Hand of God" he said firmly, his hands started curling together into two fists. "The divine move which can change the outcome of the entire game, I play Go to find such move" Torajirou's powerful tone had silenced all the noise that surrounded the two of them. Hikaru felt as if his soul was gradually settled down, as if he had finally found his true purpose in life. That hand, that move, he wanted it too. No, no matter what it takes, he would reach it.

"Well, if there is such a move waiting for me to reach, it'd be such a waste to throw away any possible chance to find it now" the seven year old smirked playfully at his master who had replied his cockiness with a mock scowl.

"You're a life time too early to say that phrase, you shorty brat. Now pick up my seat and we can start playing" Torajirou demanded loudly, his arms were crossed over his chest as if to display his authoritative figure to his student. Hikaru threw his master's cushion back inside the house, irritated at being called shorty by the not very tall edo man.

"Shut up, you old geezer! Like you are the one to talk" the boy fumed as he jumped onto his seat in front of the old Kaya Goban.

~o0O0o~

Sai opened his eyes to another fine day. The skin around his eyes was wrinkled and swollen. He had cried himself to sleep last night. His dear Hikaru had returned home by himself, his socks were completely ruined. But what Sai really concerned the most was his brother's expression. His face was blank and emotionless and his once pink cheeks were stained with tears. If there was any one in this world to blame for his brother's state, it'd be him. Yes, he, Fujiwara Sai, the teen prodigy who took away the twinkles in his little brother's eyes, wiped away the brightest smiles on the boy's face. He was the cruel, jealous brother who ripped away the chance from his little prodigy to appear on the surface of the Go world.

"No, they can't take him away from me" He whispered to himself. His face had become stiff and stern as he wiped away another tear which had escaped his eyelid. Sai quickly pulled himself up to a sitting position, taking a deep breath as he made up his mind.

He slowly stepped down the stairs. Sai felt his feet getting heavier with every step that brought him closer to the kitchen. _'Hikaru must have felt worse than this' _He chanted the phrase to himself like a priest would do to a mantra. His hand shook nervously as he grabbed onto the shoji door.

"Mother, I need to talk to you" the teen fixed his gaze on his mother's back

"Not now, dear, I'm making a bento for Hikaru. Can you please go help your brother pack his things?"

"It's about Hikaru" Sai pressed his point calmly. Mitsuko halted her hands as she slowly turned towards her older son who pressed his lips together to force down his trembling lips "I cannot let him go to Kyoto"

Mitsuko sighed audibly. "Sai, we've already talked about this countless times before. I will not take back my decision"

"I'll quit Go" the statement came down like a lightening struck in the middle of Fujiwara household "I'll quit being a pro and take over the business. If that what it takes to allow him to play Go, I'll give up Go myself" Sai bit his lips to force down his tears.

"What are you saying, nii-chan?" Hikaru suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Sai thought he could see his brother's eyes sparkled for a short moment before they dimmed down to a dull green. "Mom, did you pack my sneakers? I can't find them anywhere" he turned to the still stunned Mitsuko who whimpered back a quiet 'yes'

"Then I'm done packing" Little Hikaru turned his attention to his pale brother who looked very surprised when the seven year old began talking to him "Will you come to my room for a moment? I have something for you" Hikaru smiled awkwardly

The two took a few steps up the stairs and they both ended up standing in Hikaru's relatively vacant room. Hikaru took out his keychain which attached to a set of keys. He picked one of them and inserted it into the drawer of his desk, revealing the kifus and Go books he had been hiding from their mom for all these years. His hand dug into the deeper part of the drawer, drawing out an old slim box before turning to face Sai.

"I know it's late but I couldn't find a chance to give you this. It might not worth much compare to dad's business suit and mom's kimono, oh, and grandpa's Go set as well, but I did my best getting you this" Hikaru handed him the slender box "Congratulation on passing the pro exam, nii-chan" Hikaru said with his trembling voice "And I'm sorry I said those terrible things to you. I really didn't mean it, any of it" he bit down hard on his lips as loneliness clenched down tighter on his heart. Every second that ticked away signaled the ending of their time together. How much time does he have left? How long before his grandparents would arrive at their doorstep and called him away from his brother's warm hug? Will they ever see each other again? Hikaru wished with all his heart to take back those times they spent together and started to cherish them all over again. He wished he'd never have to leave his brother's side. The boy walked unsteadily towards his teen brother. He hesitated for a moment when Sai didn't reach out for him. Hikaru accidentally let out a quiet sob as his hands desperately reached out to his brother. He wanted to tell him how he really felt, had even wanted his true feeling to replace those hurtful words he shouted at his lovely brother if it was possible.

A pair of strong arms suddenly wrapped around Hikaru's shoulders. He felt drops of tear grazed pass his cheeks before his face was rest onto Sai's trembling body. "I know Hikaru. You didn't hurt me at all" Sai's voice was faded into a sob as he knelt down to hide Hikaru's form into his chest, wishing he could really hide his dear brother from his grandparents' grasp "You don't have to go, Hikaru. We can stay together. We'll play together forever like we promised. Just let me talk to them again" Sai was barely conversational as he clung to Hikaru tightly, tears after tears streamed down from his sad eyes. Hikaru shook his head slowly

"You're special, nii-chan. We both know that very well. If there is someone who can carry on my dream of being a pro, it'd be you" Hikaru smiled despite his heavily teary face "Please take care of my dream from now" he sobbed into Sai's warm chest.

~o0O0o~

Touya Akira couldn't get rid of his frustration. Had he not prepared to face the boy? No, he had been doing all he could for the past three months. He had even played countless games with Fujiwara san in order to study the boy's style. So what had gone wrong?

Akira was quiet as he was replaying the game in his mind. He forgot that he was sitting at the dining table, having the first meal of the day with his family.

"Fujiwara san is not coming to the study group today? That is very unusual of him. I thought he would still come even if there was an earthquake going" Touya Akiko teased lightheartedly. Touya Kouyo kept his gaze on his dear son, not really paying attention to his wife. He knew that she was good natured, only sometimes her joke had gone too far, but he was certain that it wasn't intentional.

"I'm certain it was an urgent matter. He called me this morning, saying he'd need to see his brother off" Kouyo's reply had perked some interest in his son as the boy suddenly shot up in his seat after hearing that sentence. It wasn't in his father personality to announce whatever someone's business to those who had nothing to do with the matter. Akira assumed that his father had hinted something at him.

"Sending his brother off…to where?" Akira didn't even notice that he had stuttered when he finally asked the question.

Kouyo shook his head slowly but answered his son "I can only guess" he thought back to the two guests from an old capital who had come to visit him yesterday. The male guest was wearing a fine kimono with striking familiar crests on his chest.

Akira's eyes widened in horror as he listened to his father's assumption, he bolted out to the phone, started dialing numbers into the receiver. After a hurried conversation with a person on the other side of the line, he made another bolt to the entrance. His mother called after him.

"Akira, where are you going? What about your breakfast?"

"I'm really sorry, mother, but I'm going to the Shinkansen station. Please go on without me"

~o0O0o~

The station guards were blowing their whistles, signaling the train's departure. Hikaru looked up at his brother as he tugged on Sai's hand, unwilling to let go. His eyes once again, became watery.

"Nii-chan, will I see you again?"

"Of course, Hikaru, I'll go visit you as often as I can. You better improve your skill. I don't want to keep beating you down any more"

"Geez, I'll win next time we play. You better prepare yourself" Hikaru hopped on the train. He was still lingered by the window when the train sent off the last signal. Sai didn't move away either.

"I'll call you everyday. Eat your vegetables or you won't grow taller" Sai started to wave at his little brother who stalled back by the closing door in order to wave back at him

"I will miss you, nii-chan" Hikaru shouted. He didn't bother to hide his tears any more. Sai didn't shout back. He only smiled sweetly as he kept waving his arm, his moist eyes finally let loose a few drops, his other hand gripped tightly on his new fan.

"I love you, Hikaru" he whispered longingly as the train took off.


	8. A new begining

Hello! My dear readers! I thought I had a writer's block but as you can see, I can still write a new chapter, much to my relieve.

Not much about this chapter except for that I think some vocab explanation would be good for those of you who rarely read manga

**Obocchama** = young master

**-Sama** = honorific used following name/last name. The term can be used to express a high respect for the person (business settings) such as the time when a company worker talks to a customer or can be used comically/ fancifully by the girls to address the boys they have hopelessly fallen for.

I tried to be more detailing about my writing as I go deeper into my fic. I hope I can write faster and still presenting you quality works. Pls cheer me on

**~0~0~Reviews~0~0~**

**reesessweetie **I cant deny that I've thought about moving them both to Kyoto but that would create quite a conflict in later chapters so...they will have to part for now.

Actually Akira knew that the one he was playing was Hikaru (it was our ever so dense Hikaru that didnt remember who his opponent was) but that part is my fault for not making it clear for you readers thus I'm trying my best to put more details into each chapters as we go on. No more implying (if I could help it).

I'm really excited to write about Yashiro too. He might be a bit OOC in this chapter but well, I plan to make him grow into his original personality, one way or another. And I also pray for Hikaru not to change too much although I doubt you'd hate him in my fic, if he ever change.

**Kanrei** Nooo, Touya didnt make it. I cant have the two brothers run away from home either since it seems too unrealistic. Sai just turned pro for a few months, if anything, he was about to enter prelims for title matches. So he should still earn some money for old oteai system but it shouldnt pay a lot to cover living expense of the two brothers.

**Infinitechange** Thank you for your review:D Come say hello again!

**Yuu** I was intended to write it that way but I'd hate to see the brotherly love ruined over some matter that can be dealt with. It's hard to give up your dream but is it worth sacrificing the one you love the most? Some ppl out there would choose their dreams but not the Hikaru in my fic :D

**Anonymous** Will you count me as a sadist if I tell you I'm really happy that you cried :D Seriously I do

Now it's time for my chitchat to end. Hope you enjoy this chapter. and thanks for every reviews, favs, and follows. See you again next chapter

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go**

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After three months of intensive training (or as Hikaru had despitefully called cultural cramming program) in Kyoto, the seven year old felt he had learnt too many useless skills in addition of getting a whole bunch of make believe aristocratic kids as his friends. It was the most frustrating three months in Hikaru's life. Not to mention that his grandparents made him so busy he didn't even get to touch a Go stone even once, safe for the time when he slept.

But that uninteresting, stuck up way of life would be ending as of today! Hikaru never imagined himself counting down the day that he would be back to school (or in this case, going to a new school). If he was his old self, he would probably be whining in bed, playing tug of war with Sai using his blanket as a medium all the while yelling at his brother for interrupting his sleep. Living with his Kyoto grandparents led him to have quite a technophobia lifestyle. That meant no television, no computer, no video games, and even no toaster! At the lack of his usual milk and toast-to-go breakfast, he had to wake up much earlier in the morning in order to have the first meal of the day, properly at the table. Hikaru was grateful that someone up there had decided to introduced microwave and refrigerator to the Fujiwara elders or else he might see the need to take a cooking (from scratch) class at the sensitive age of seven.

Only one thing that ruined his happy moment on this much anticipated morning, his grandparents had stubbornly assigned his personal caretaker to follow him on his way to school.

"Alright, I get it. My grandparents are freaking out because it's my first day to my new school. They are paranoid that I might get lost so they send YOU after me. But that doesn't mean you should carry my school bag for me too!" Hikaru screamed at the top of his lung at the man who had been following behind him since he left Fujiwara's manor.

"Obocchama, please mind your language. We're in the middle of the street. If someone who know you happened to hear what you've just said, they might talk that the Fujiwara didn't teach you proper manners"

Hikaru felt his vein had just popped up on his forehead. Ever since he arrived in Kyoto, his grandparents' servants always created some polite way to insult him.

"Like I give a damn about what people says about you lot. Give the bag here!" he demanded annoyingly. The man in his twenties reluctantly handed the bag to his young master but he still trailed after Hikaru though the boy had tried his worst to shoo him away. While Hikaru was considering running away from his personal stalker, his eyes accidentally caught on a gloomy looking boy who was walking on the other side of the street. He remembered seeing the boy passed by the manor a few times during summer break but they had never been introduced to each other, neither had they attended any cultural classes together during the three months that Hikaru started his training in this city.

"Look, that guy is one of my friends from the summer classes. We go to the same school. Now, leave me" Hikaru ran off to the other side of the street where the boy stood watching him in surprise. His follower looked as if he was about to protest but eventually gave up as Hikaru took the other boy by his arm and bolted off in the direction of his school. The boy obediently ran after him but once they were half a block away from their previous location, the boy was finally plunged out of his stupor and jerked his arm back from Hikaru's grasp.

"What are you doing?" The boy frowned as he stared angrily at Hikaru. Oh, boy, he seemed unfriendly. But Hikaru knew that he was the one to blame.

"Oh, sorry, I think this is not the way to your school" He winced awkwardly

"Never mind that, who are you?" The grumpy boy looked strait into Hikaru's eyes. The intensity in this boy's gaze reminded Hikaru of the eyes of the Go players back in Tokyo. He felt he had just taken a liking to this boy based solely from his stare.

"I'm Fujiwara Hikaru. I go to Ritsumeikan primary. Sorry to drag you down all the way here with me. I just needed to get away from that guy"

The boy didn't say anything back as he sneaked a studious glance on Hikaru. The primary school Hikaru mentioned was a prestigious private school in Kyoto. And honestly, the over-energetic boy in front of him didn't look like he could belong there.

"Glad I could help. If you were being threatened for money, it'd be even worse once you get to wear your school uniform. Those kids are all filthy rich after all" the boy said. His lips pressed thinly together as he narrowed his eyes at the view of the approaching building. Hikaru looked at him quizzically but had decided that asking the boy any question at the time would be a bad idea.

"By the way, welcome to Ritsumeikan. I'm Yashiro Kiyoharu, 1st grader from Momiji house. Nice to meet you"

~o0O0o~

Hikaru stood beside his new homeroom teacher in front of the whole new class. His eyes scanned through the room as he mentally counted the faces he had known during his summer training period. Hikaru was somewhat surprised that he had already befriended more than half of them. Although he was relieved that he didn't have to put a great amount of effort in the 'making friend department', the feeling he had in his gut didn't seem to be a pleasant one.

"I'm Fujiwara Hikaru. I transferred from Tokyo a few months ago. Please take care of me" Hikaru bowed gracefully to his new classmates. All of them erupted into cheerful greetings, all except one boy whose seat was next by the window far in the back of the room. Hikaru's eyes lid up excitedly when the said boy turned and nodded curtly at him but his enthusiasm was ended abruptly when his teacher directed him to the seat next to the girl who he had been introduced to at the beginning of his tea ceremony summer course. The girl was always keened on adding an honorific '-sama' to his name regardless of how obvious he seemed to dislike the use of it. His other neighbor was a snobbish boy who snorted at him every time some classmate had given Hikaru an attention, even though the boy didn't openly act hostile towards him when other students were looking.

_'And here I thought I could get away from these pretenders when I'm at school' _Hikaru mused hopelessly as he lowered himself onto his chair, getting ready for the first period in his new school.

~o0O0o~

"Fujiwara kun, if you don't mind sitting with us during lunch, we can help introduce you to everyone in the house" the young Yashiro stole a quick glance at the weird boy who he met on his way to school. It appeared to him that his suspicion about the boy being one of the 'rich kids' was confirmed. Although he noted that Hikaru seemed like a nice guy to hang out with, his attitude might change very soon when the new boy had adapted to the circle of aristocratic children in this school. After all, his status as the young master of Fujiwara had already established him as one of the most elite student standings from Kyoto's notable family. In this school where fame and social status were encouraged, children of his kind were the most important figures in promoting school's publicity.

"Oh, I'd love that. But I want to have a chat with someone I know first. I'll be joining you later" Hikaru said with a dashing smile on his face like a role model student should have. Yashiro, who was watching the whole charade as Hikaru approached him, inwardly rolled his eyes.

"So I heard you're called Yashiro. Can I call you Kiyoharu?" Yashiro frowned slightly at Hikaru's sudden closeness. For someone in this class asking his permission to call him on a first name basis was an event that had never happened before and he certainly didn't expect the phrase to come from the class's new star.

"No, I'd prefer we stay on the last name basis, if you don't mind"

Hikaru went quiet for a moment. It didn't seem like he was offended by Yashiro's straightforwardness but more likely from a pure surprise. He stared at the boy with his innocent rounded eyes for seconds more before his lips broke into a wide grin.

"Say Kiyoharu, why don't you join us for lunch? After all, I think the more the merrier"

"Haven't you heard what those kids say about me? Wouldn't you rather enjoy your meal with your royal friends than spending break time with a poor student?" Yashiro said. His face was stoic and indifferent but Hikaru sensed loneliness seeped out from him. The very emotion that they had secretly shared between themselves which unknowingly had made them two kindred souls. Hikaru shrugged nonchalantly as he kept on bothering his new classmate.

"I don't know what is wrong with being a scholarship student. But if you really want my say in this, I'll say it's awesome. It means you are good at something so they pay for you to study here, isn't it?" Hikaru gave him an arrogant smirk which Yashiro found strangely provoking.

"So what if you think of me that way? They still won't see me as their equal"

"Really?" Hikaru pursed his lips as he shot a cold glance in the said group's direction, making his 'friends' squirmed uncomfortably "If that's the case, then I guess you don't mind if I sit with you for lunch" He suddenly plopped onto the window sill next to Yashiro's seat, ignoring the boy's protest.

"What are you doing? They'll give you a cold shoulder for hanging out with me" he hissed. His eyes widened as he saw everyone in the class was giving him their most dirty looks. This filthy rich young master was bringing him the greatest misfortune of his school life and here he was, sitting lazily by his seat, eating his lunch like he couldn't feel the dagger glares throwing in their way.

"That sounds great. They'll finally leave me alone" Yashiro wondered if Hikaru said that intentionally because he was sure everyone in their class that didn't have hearing problem could hear him without having to strain their ears to listen in. It would turn into a chaos by now if the one saying that line was Yashiro but since it was Hikaru, he could see that his classmates were trying their best pretending not to hear what the young prince had just said. Yashiro didn't dare to say anything further as the boy might turn his words into some mild insult towards his classmates and that'd surely result in him being the one to take the blame since he doubted any students would dare to point their fingers at the young master. The entire class spent their lunch time eating in silence.

~o0O0o~

"That foul mouth new kid thinks he is above everyone because he has his grandparents on his side" Ayabe Yoriyuki growled as he finished his afternoon class. His two henchmen were nodding frantically along with his statement. Prior to the new kid's arrival, he was the one student whose status was on the top of the class. His family, although not an old name that had held century long record like the Fujiwara, was a respectful household. His mother's family owned a wagashi shop that could rival Fujiwara's generation business in terms of its age old history. It was a shame that his mother chose to marry into his father's family thus eliminated him from the direct line of successor. But at least his father was a respectable Go professional. Ayabe believed that one of these days, his father would enter the title league and swept the Go world by storm. He was even featured in Go weekly on the last issue that he was one of the most promising Kansai pros of his age and this very capable pro was teaching him and his brother who was currently an insei in Kansai ki-in, how to play Go.

"What do we have for our cultural study period?" Ayabe directed his question to his right where his chubby follower stood. The other boy shoved his hand into his pant pocket and drew out a piece of paper "It's Go" he replied

Ayabe smirked as his mischievous plan began to take shape inside his head. "Well, I think someone should teach him a lesson so he'd finally know his own place" The skinny boy on his left nervously waved his hands in disagreement "But if you pick on Fujiwara, you'll get into trouble with his grandparents"

"Who says I will pick on him?" Ayabe chuckled with a gleam in his eyes while gazing at the passing Yashiro.

~o0O0o~

"_But I don't understand. How would challenging Yashiro affect Fujiwara?"_

"_Use your brain! Fujiwara was the one befriending him. If people see how unworthy Yashiro is to him, Fujiwara will have no choice but tossing Yashiro away. But if he is still stubborn about hanging out with that guy, well everyone would talk that he was degrading himself. He'd finally be cast out just like his new friend"_

Hayakawa Ikuko was about to turn the corner when she overheard the conversation. It wasn't in her nature to eavesdrop but she couldn't help hearing it since the three guys had been plotting their plan in the middle of corridor. She was determined to go to her Fujiwara-sama and tell him about what she heard but then her feet were halted. She wasn't sure how he'd react to her story given the chance that he wouldn't start running away as soon as he saw her face. It was also very unlikely that Fujiwara-sama would know how to play Go, and even if he knew he wouldn't stand a chance against Ayabe who had been trained by his professional father since the time he learnt how to walk. Only one last option left…

'_I have to take him away before they start playing, and keep Yashiro kun from him after that' _she mused as she entered the classroom. Her eyes widened as she saw a Go pro from Kansai ki-in was already standing in front of the class, preparing for her lesson. Her gaze strayed to the three pranksters who snickered quietly before she turned her attention to her prince who was waiting for class to begin at his desk.

"Sensei, my stomach hurts. Can I go to the infirmary office?" Hayakawa clenched on her stomach, putting on the most painful face she could picture herself in. God, she believed she deserved a Japanese academy award after this acting, if there was one.

The Go pro looked worried as she put down her handouts "Oh my, I'll go with you"

"No! Er…, I'll have Fujiwara-sama to help me" she suddenly blurted out. Hikaru, who was sitting in his seat and boring his mind to the core, was suddenly yanked and dragged out of the classroom by his least favorite classmate. He was still in a daze when she threw him onto one of infirmary beds.

"Hey! You don't even look sick to me. Why are you dragging me down here anyway?" Hikaru was _mildly_ irritated at loosing the chance to touch Go stones. He was about to bolt out the door when Hayakawa suddenly grabbed his arm.

"You can't go. Those three were planning to pick on you in the class"

"What are you talking about? Who is picking on whom?" Hikaru was now openly frustrated

"Ayabe and his gang. He wants you to loose face for hanging out with Yashiro kun. So Ayabe kun decided he'd wipe the board with Yashiro kun in cultural class" she pleaded him with her most convincing puppy eyes but it had little effect on the fuming young master.

"That's ridiculous! How are they going to make me loose face if the one they are playing against is Kiyoharu?"

Hayakawa decided to tell him about what she had heard on her way back to the classroom. By the time she had finished, it was around half an hour into the period. Hikaru bit his lips as he suppressed his boiling anger, his hands pulled on the sliding door before he slammed it shut with all his might. He had never felt this angry towards anyone before (except his grandparents and his mom when they went to pick him up from Tokyo three months ago). He could only pray that their dirty game hadn't been finished as he ran back to the classroom.


	9. Kyoto Arc: The Awakening of the King

I'm soooooo sorry for the really late update. I have no excuse! It's my fault. It's what every writer hates and fears. It's the writer's block! I had my first three pages finished since the first few days after I update the last chapter but Akira's scene was really hard to squeeze out form my small brain. I promise I'll go back to drafting the outline of the story again and try to work harder on this fic so I can continue updating at my regular pace.

**As for replying reviews, there are too many guests reviews in the last chapter so I'll just answer your questions in total instead of single out each of them (since I don't know how to address you differently).**

**First, guests' reviews**: I tried to put some different ideas into my fic and I'm sooo happy to know that you like my OC as well. My 'royal' Hikaru is inspired by an antagonist character from another manga/anime. I think Hikaru's grandparents' upbringing would effect his major personality but the 'true' and 'rebellious' him would always find the way to preserve his 'old self. In the last chapter, he found some similarities of his younger self in Yashiro that now becomes unwanted by his grandparents and those who surrounded him. So Hikaru instantly becomes attached to Yashiro and even called him by his first name (ignoring Yashiro's rejection). Things will surely get more intense from now on and I really hope I could have a smoother journey as I write this fic (Fingers crossed)

**Another's guest review**: The name of this Arc is Kyoto Arc :D

**Anonymous:** Glad you're back and happy ;D

**Yuu:** You'll probably meet Sai again in the next chapter. I admit I want to write more about him. Do you want to about his matches?

**Infinitechange: **The game is on!

**Kanrei: **You might think of him as naive. But to me, he's more like a stubborn, headstrong kid. I prefer Hikaru to be a bad ass young master.

Some of my reviewers are missing :'( Even though I know you guys are following my story closely, I still miss you a lot. I thank you for your support and reviews+favs+follows. For those who left comments, I hope you come back and give me some more. Those who didn't, no hard feelings (but I hope you'll let me know how you like or hate my fic, sometime in the future) Your expectations drive me to write the fic and I always appreciate them.

Enough chat (talkative as always) and get on with the new chapter. Hope to see you again very soon!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go**

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Yashiro raised his hand to wipe away the sweat that was about to drip into his eye. He gulped some air down his dry throat, hoping to suit his nervousness as he looked at the board intensely. He had never been good at this board game since the first time he learnt about it in the school's cultural period so he knew from the beginning when Ayabe approached him to request for a 'friendly' game that his inevitable loss was guaranteed.

So why was he so tense about playing this game with Ayabe anyway? It was because the rambling that came from this snobbish boy and his minions about how he, himself, turned out to be a great disappointment for not being able to hold a game against a normal student despite of being an academic role model.

"Wow, Ayabe kun, I wonder why the school gave the scholarship to Yashiro kun and not you. If Go was truly a brain game like most people says, it is obvious who has a better thinking here" The skinny boy next to Ayabe sniggered as he sent his glare from over the board to Yashiro. The young Yashiro clenched his fists tightly as he stared back.

"Well, isn't it obvious Takada kun, the school would give the money to those students who need it most. It is simply that my family can _afford _to pay my tuition fee unlike Yashiro kun here. That is why I miss my chance to be granted the title" Ayabe taunted, eyeing the shaken scholarship boy with contempt. His lopsided smirk was widened as he noticed the students around the class began to turn their heads, a low humming sound started to increase in volume.

Yashiro gritted his teeth until his jaws slowly became numb. He already knew where he stood in this elite school circle without the help from Ayabe to rub it in his face "But I'll give you some credit, since your plan to blend in with us this time around is unexpectedly good" Ayabe grinned widely before he closed in for a whisper. But instead of receiving a hushed dialogue from Ayabe, Yashiro heard the boy announce his accusation very loud and clear.

"What a cunning plan you have there, Yashiro kun, to use Fujiwara kun as your stepping stone. A very dirty plan befitting someone like you indeed" Ayabe chuckled lightly as he watched Yashiro's eyes widened in horror. He felt his blood rushed to fill his ears as he sharply stood from his seat, hammering his fist on the table where the board was set. Most of the female students jolted up in their spots but some boys had started wearing a hostile look after they had witness Yashiro's burst of temper. The temporary Go instructor was about to step in and clear up the situation when Ayabe had his insulting grin returned on his face.

"I'll give you a chance to repent whatever sly deed you have in your evil mind. Apologize and accept your lost to me" he smirked

Yashiro lips were quivering uncontrollably. He felt every muscle in his body tense up with anger at the thought of giving in to the boy's ridiculous demand. He shouldn't have let his guard down and let that new boy approached him. He should have known better to associate himself with the student who was superior to him in rank and social status. Now he got no one to blame for bringing this humiliation upon himself. He bit down hard on his lips, almost successfully drew blood onto the skin as he prepared to accept his disgraceful state.

"I resig…"

"Stop!" Yashiro was abruptly cut off by the roar of the slammed open door. Every pair of eyes in the class was gathered at the arriving small figure who was panting heavily at the entrance. The boy narrowed his eyes dangerously when his gaze caught on the four students who were standing around the table far to the back of the room. He gradually collected himself as he bowed down to the Go instructor before carefully closed the door, quietly this time.

The whole class was silenced as the new student walked passes their seats. His chest was flexing up and down as he tried to calm his breathing. He glanced down at the still unfinished game between Yashiro and Ayabe and studied it for a short moment before he placed his hand on Yashiro's shoulder, gently pushing him to the side as he lowered himself down onto the seat.

"You're black, correct?" Hikaru glanced sideway to Yashiro who had finally come to his sense due to the question directed at him. He nodded in reply as the new student abruptly turned away to look at the other three who stood across from him.

"I'm sorry if my new friend did anything to upset you. As an apology, please let me continue this game with you in his place. That is, if you don't mind" Hikaru forced his speech through his tightly gritted teeth. His chilling tone raised the hair on the back of the necks of those who were in the hearing vicinity. Ayabe and his gang were rooted to the spots. The cold sweats slowly traced down the side of their temples as their gazes accidentally met with the boy's murderous stare.

"**Sit**" Hikaru's voice was calm but strangely threatening at the same time "**please**" His lips were spread into a sweet smile but its cheerfulness didn't reach his darken green eyes in the least.

Ayabe reluctantly sank back into his seat. He tried to steady his shaken hands by holding them firmly together. _It's alright. He is the one who requests this. Black's lost isn't guaranteed yet but from the look of the shapes and positions, it will need some miracle to come back on top. It will be another story if I was playing against my father but if my opponent is this new young master who doesn't even seem to know how to play the game, it's my win._

Yashiro stared nervously at Hikaru's back. The Fujiwara boy already took sometime to study the board without moving an inch since he settled himself across the Goban. Unlike most Go game for children at their ages where the 9x9 or 13x13 boards were used, all Go played during Ritsumeikan's cultural period was on the original board size, making the games considerably harder for beginners. Even if Fujiwara wasn't a beginner, Yashiro couldn't imagine him winning against Ayabe who had been trained formally by his pro father since he was very young.

"Fujiwara kun, I don't think you should…"

"Keep quiet" the young master said quietly without as much turning to face him. His firm, emotionless voice demanded finality. After a minute or two, Hikaru's fingers dug into the Go bowl.

Glack!

The snapping sound of the black stone against the wooden board echoed through the classroom. The students were silenced as some of them craned their necks to get a better view at the board, others were abandoning their seats to go and have a closer look around Hikaru. Ayabe's eyes widened slightly as he noticed Hikaru's fingers had gracefully rolled around the stone as if the boy was used to handling it. _So he isn't a beginner and he seems confident in his skill. But it was Yashiro's game you are playing. How far can you carry a dead weight like these stones on your shoulders? Surely, you don't hope to win against me._ Ayabe smirked

Pachi Glack!

Pachi Glack!

Pachi Glack!

Ayabe frowned as he looked up at Hikaru. _This fake prince is starting to get on my nerve. Does he intend to snap his every move until the end? In your dream, Fujiwara, your petty trick cannot distract me. _

They continued exchanging their hands. It was almost a speed Go considering the pace they were going. What made this game distinctively different from the fast pace Go was that Hikaru was actually thinking instead of letting his instinct placed the stones for him. His eyes shone brighter and crueler as his gaze followed Ayabe's hand which had moved exactly to the spots he had predicted. _Come, one more move._ The corners of his lips slowly curled upward into a smug grin.

As Ayabe snapped his stone to connect his wall on the right side of the board, Hikaru's grin quickly faded away and replaced by a stern frown. He grabbed a black stone, biting on his lips to calm his loud thumping heart as the complicated path on the board was slowly glowing to his eyes. In all his life of playing Go, he had never considered this type of play. The shapes were scattered and not very orderly placed but they had also created possibilities for him to outline some very confusing traps if the following moves were played correctly which meant no errors, no mistakes, and no miscalculations on his part. It was very risky and exciting style which, surprisingly, Hikaru had found very attractive.

Glack!

His next hand came down firmed and strong on the board. Hikaru needed all his will power to suppress the leaking laughter from his throat. To Hikaru, that last move he placed had announced his absolute victory even though Ayabe and the rest of the class still remained clueless to what was actually happen at the time. Hikaru couldn't help wondering how many more hands he had to play until this Ayabe saw his lost or until someone else pointed it out to the crowd.

Five hands into the game, another seven points for him. Ten hands into the game, another eleven points added to their difference in total score. Fifteen hands into the game…_god, how long will he keep playing?_

Finally, a gasps was heard from Hikaru's left. He turned sharply to take a look at the first person who had saw Ayabe's inevitable defeat. Much to his disappointment, it was their Go instructor from Kansai ki-in who wore a look of great surprise (or from Hikaru's point of view, she looked like she had just been scared out of her wit from seeing a ghost under the daylight)

"You…how?" she stuttered

"Sensei, please don't interrupt us" Hikaru said sternly but remained as polite as he could manage. He was still furious about Ayabe and his gang's plan to sabotage his friendship with Kiyoharu but he knew better than to vent it on someone else that wasn't involve in this charade. Speaking of which, he might have already lost a screw or two on Hayakawa and Kiyoharu while his temper went out of control earlier. He mentally noted that he would need to apologize to them after the game. Hikaru turned back and glanced to his opponent who seemed to be trembling in his seat. Ayabe's pale face and his gaped mouth were unexpectedly entertaining to look at. He chuckled slightly at that.

"So, Ayabe kun, what's next?" Hikaru smiled sarcastically. His arms were crossed in the front and his chin tilted up slightly as he stared down at Ayabe as if he was a disgusting bug to be squashed.

"I…I resign" he quickly bowed down to the young Fujiwara, averting his eyes from the sight of the boy who had beaten him at his favorite game by a humiliating gigantic margin, fear danced in his eyes.

~o0O0o~

It was one early afternoon that Touya Akira had walked into a convenient store on his way from school to his father's Go salon. He quickly marched to the magazine shelves where he could always find the latest issue of Go weekly. The reason he was here to check on the magazine wasn't because that the Touya's salon didn't carry them but rather the lack of its availability as of late. Ever since the Go world had welcomed the three new pros of the year, the first and the second pro to pass the exam had gathered enormous attention from every living amateur player for two major reasons. The first reason was that the two players were the youngest pro of the current generation whose skills, despite of being only the first dan pros, were on equal footing with the higher dan players. The second reason, the hottest topic and the most talked about, was the recent clash between the two in the Kisei title league which was held in the Yugen no Ma room about a week ago, the show down which led to the scarce of the Go publication since its latest issue had also featured the kifu of the rumored 'the most stunning fight of the decade: Shusaku of the twenty century'.

Akira's eyes lid up at the site of the lone Go weekly magazine which seemed to be the last one on the shelves. He quickly reached his hand out but failed to grab it as his height was the main obstacle to the course. The boy blushed slightly as he hoped that no one had witness his embarrassing attempt and started to gather himself for a second try.

"Oi, Yoshitaka! Come here and take a look. It's that new idol pro you're worshipping" The boy whose hair had a dark flaming shade of red called out to his friend with his thunderous voice. Akira had to admit to himself that the boy had quite an intimidating demeanor as he winced away from his previous spot next to the red head, although his eyes still rooted to the (stolen) Go magazine in the older boy's hands.

"Hey, I know I might have asked too much, especially from someone like you. But can you please show some respect? He's a phenomenal to the Go world and his style helps the inseis to understand Shusaku's games better. At the very least, I hope you're grateful to him" Waya scolded his friend as he approached the shelves, knocking Akira's shoulder to one side in the progress.

"Ah~ yeah yeah, whatever you say" the red hair boy replied indifferently as he used his other hand to pick his ear. _Damn, he's always so serious with everything that involves this damn pretty face pro and his Go. It's almost to the point of unhealthy obsession._

Akira grumpily massaged his shoulder. He was contemplating between voicing out his complain to the two boys or keep quiet and continue listening in on their conversation. The latter choice appeared to be more attractive since the mention of the inseis studying Fujiwara pro's games together held an interesting aspect to him. Ever since the day that Fujiwara Hikaru had beaten him, he began to search for an even more creative moves in order to prepare himself to face this opponent in their next meeting. Playing with the other older pros whose skills were more refined always great for him in terms of improvement, especially with Fujiwara pro, Ogata pro, and his father. But it would be the younger talents who often inspired him to create more daring moves, and Akira would not let any chance at discovering such refreshing plays slip away from his hands.

"Are you two in the insei class? Do they study Fujiwara san's kifus there?"

The two older boys turned their heads at Akira's question. They glanced back at each other for a short moment before the boy who bumped into Akira earlier shook his head

"No, we are not. But we are about to take the up coming exam. Do you wanna be an insei as well?"

Akira was standing there, blinking. He never thought about being an insei because he was already in his father study group even before he could remember how things worked around him. He wondered how his father would react to the request of him joining the class.

"I think it'd be fun to study with other children"

"If that's the case," the red head shrugged "I think you better hurry. The registration period is about to end in two weeks. I hope you already have a pro to sponsor you"

"A pro? Sponsor?" Akira quirked one of his brows

"Yeah, you'll need a pro player to sponsor your study. If you haven't got one, I can get our sensei to take care of it. It's just that, you will most likely have to join his study group every Tuesday to start your formal study"

"Oh, thank you very much but I think I'll have my father take care of that"

"Well if you say so, good luck with your exam then"

Akira bowed as he thanked the boys. The red head just waved him goodbye casually, the other just smiled before they both walked away to the cashier.

'_Besides if 'that guy' is still playing Go, I am sure he will appear before me again. I'm taking my bet that we will meet as inseis, Fujiwara. Someday, I'll make you stop and turn to look at me. Someday, I'll make you remember my name" _Akira looked up to search for the magazine but couldn't find any. His head turned swiftly at the direction where the two older boys disappeared. When it seemed like he wouldn't be able to trace them down, he sighed "Oh, no. Not again"


End file.
